The Octagon
by misslaurenelizabeth
Summary: AU/AH: After a year of being out of the game, UFC fighter Damon Salvatore has a chance to redeem himself and revive his career. He's stepping back into the Octagon and he's feeling pretty confident that he can protect his body from the blows that come along with it. He didn't count on having to protect his heart too.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Full disclosure - I am not planning on updating this story until All I Wanted is finished, but I had an idea and I wanted to get a little tease of this out there. I'll pick this up whenever I finish AIW.**

 **This Damon is going to be a little different from how I've written him in the past. He'll be more aggressive for one thing (hello UFC fighter) and dare I say even MORE broody than normal. My Elena here is going to be a bit similar to AIW, not the same but similar. I love love love writing a strong, sassy, and smart Elena. We'll just have to see where this goes.**

 **Don't worry. I am working on Ch 13 of AIW over the weekend! It's going to be a good one.**

* * *

Damon stood in the locker room, clad in his black shorts and black tshirt as his head coach, Alaric, wrapped his hands for him. He could hear the crowd cheering inside the area, only adding to the knots in his stomach. He was nervous. For the first time in his UFC career, he was nervous to go out there.

"Stay tight, protect your face and your ribs, hit him with a couple jabs early on so he knows you're serious, but save your energy to take him down in the later rounds. Got it?" Alaric said, clamping a hand onto Damon's shoulder.

Damon focused his vision onto the poster on the wall in front of him. It was a flyer advertising the fight. It had Damon and Kol pitted against each other, each holding their fists up and scowling. _Salvatore vs Michaelson._

Analysts were hyping this up to be his big return to the ring, his retribution for the chip he had on his shoulder from Vegas. Kol was the smaller and less deadly version of his older brother Klaus, but he was still a decent enough fighter and he'd still be a challenge to Damon after all of this time away from the sport.

"Hey, are you hearing me?" Alaric said, clapping his hands in front of Damon's face to get his attention.

He shrugged Alaric's hand off of his shoulder. "Yeah Ric, I heard you. It's nothing you haven't said a thousand times before."

"You have this. There is no conceivable scenario where you do not kick his ass, alright?" Ric reassured him as he fitted Damon into his gloves.

Damon nodded his head before standing up. He did a couple jumps, swung his arms back and forth, and moved his neck in a circle to get the blood flowing. He'd thoroughly warmed up with Ric about twenty minutes ago, but he wasn't about to chance losing this fight on account of a lame excuse of cold muscles.

He heard the crowd growing louder, which usually meant that the arena had gone dark to signal that things were about to start. It was almost time to get out into the Octagon and he was as ready as he'd ever be. Ric wrapped Damon in the Italian flag, it was good luck for him to always have that when he made his entrance. They came out of the locker room to find the rest of his team standing there ready to go. There were a few people from his security team there, some assistant coaches, and a couple of his sponsors. His publicist, Rose, stood there with her clipboard in hand. His brother and manager, Stefan, nervously wrung his hands together and looked at Damon expectedly.

"How are you feeling?" Stefan asked him as they started to walk towards their entrance to the arena.

"Your cash cow is just fine. This won't be a repeat of Vegas, if that's what you're worried about," Damon gritted out, eyes still facing forward.

Stefan sighed. "I was asking as a brother, not a manager. If you aren't ready yet, you don't have to force it."

"Damon's going to be just fine," Ric spoke, patting Damon swiftly two times on the back. "Kol doesn't stand a chance against a former middleweight champion."

Eyes focused on the lights and music in front of him, Damon emerged from his entrance to a roaring crowd. The long walk that weaved through the crowd gave Damon some time to think. It was probably as loud as a jet plane engine in there, but he found that the walk to the Octagon was when he did some of his best thinking. It always had been.

He would win this fight. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. If he didn't win, his career was officially over and all of the grueling training, all of the money his father had poured into him during the course of it would have been for naught. So to him, it wasn't a question of whether he could do this. It was more so a question of how he was going to do this.

They reached the side of the ring and Rose took a moment to give him her own form of encouragement as he took off his shirt and handed it to Ric. "Look good when you win," she said to him, smiling. "Be sure to finish with some finesse."

Damon continued to bounce side to side so he could keep his muscles ready as one of his coaches held up his mouthguard for him. Once it was in place, he gave Ric one last look before the stepping into the Octagon.

He did a little jog around, met with even louder applause and cheers from the audience. Once he settled into his corner, he waited for Kol to arrive.

* * *

Elena looked on at all of the pomp and circumstance with disdain. UFC was a needlessly violent sport, if you could even call it a sport. She certainly didn't. The only reason she was even here in the first place was to support Caroline, who had finally gotten her big break as a ring girl tonight. She'd been trying to break into the modeling business for a while now and tonight was her night to shine.

Caroline was practically bouncing up and down when Elena saw her earlier in her red shorts and bikini top. Her blonde hair was perfectly curled. She was buzzing just thinking about the exposure she was about to get. To put it quite simply, Caroline was completely immersed in her element. She shoved a VIP pass at Elena excitedly before hurrying off to finish her makeup. "Make sure you wave at me when I get up there so I don't get nervous!" Caroline had told her, even though Elena knew Caroline never, ever got nervous.

So now here she stood alone, third row back from the ring with a VIP pass hanging around her neck. A man next to her cheered as one of the fighters made his way through the crowd and towards the center of the huge arena. He was so enthused about the prospect of two guys beating each other to a pulp that he even spilled a little of his beer on Elena. Rolling her eyes, she did the best she could to brush off what little of the beer she could manage with her hand. Caroline had better be thankful for her support.

The two fighters settled into their spots in the ring as the music playing over the loud speakers died down. Elena saw Caroline emerge holding a sign with the number 1 printed on it boldly. Caroline slowly circled the outside of the ring, which was actually shaped more like an octagon, while holding the sign up and smiling. Elena made sure to wave to her as she passed by, just in case this was the one time in her life Caroline actually had the jitters. Once she completed her lap, she blew a kiss to a camera as she descended the stairs and took her seat right next to the ring. She'd have to get up and do the same thing again next round.

"Can you believe we're this close to the action?" the drunken guy next to her said, leaning a little close to her. "I mean, this is going to be a good fight. Salvatore's been out of the game for so long and his first fight back is with the younger brother of the fighter who took him out last time? Man, that's some poetic shit."

"Um, yeah," Elena nodded her head. She had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but of course she was sandwiched between a ton of UFC superfans. Who else would spend their hard earned money on seats this expensive? She took a glance up at the fighters. The darker haired one was boring his eyes into the slightly smaller one with lighter brown hair. If looks could kill, the little guy would probably be dead already.

A bell dinged to signal that the fight was starting and Elena found she had to look away once the smaller guy landed a couple of jabs. The brutality of people cheering for someone to hurt another person wasn't sitting well with her. She kept her head down for the rest of that round, choosing to focus on the graphics on her VIP pass instead. It matched the posters she'd seen hanging everywhere as she walked in. From it, she figured out that the darker haired guy was Damon Salvatore and the lighter haired one was Kol Michaelson.

When the first round was done, Elena looked up again so that she could wave to Caroline as promised. She was surprised instead to see Kol Michaelson on the ground knocked out, the referee next to him counting down the seconds until he could declare Damon Salvatore the winner. Damon stood over Kol, sweaty and panting as a little bit of blood dripped from his lip.

Recognizing that Kol wasn't getting back up anytime soon, the referee stood up, grabbed Damon's right hand, and held in the air. The arena cheered loudly, including the guy next to her.

"That's it? Less than five minutes and it's over?" Elena said to the man.

"They don't last long when you're a legend like Salvatore."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Helllllooooo! I know I said this would not be updated until after All I Wanted was complete, but my brain needed a break from that AU so I started to try to write a little for this story. And then I just kept writing and 6k words later, I had a freaking chapter ready to go so... here we are.**

 **No promises on when the next chapter of this will be up. AIW is still my primary focus for now.**

* * *

"You did great, Care!" Elena called out as she rushed to hug her best friend outside of the ring girl's locker room. She pulled away smiling. "Best ring girl ever."

Caroline rolled her eyes in an irritated manner. "It was only one round. That's not long enough for anyone to notice me. This was supposed to help boost my career," she slightly whined.

"This was the biggest fight of the year!" Elena exclaimed as she excitedly threw her hands into the air. "That's tons of exposure!"

Caroline quirked an eyebrow. "When did you become a UFC fan?" she asked suspiciously.

"I wouldn't say a fan per say, but I kind of get why it would appeal to a certain type of person," she backtracked. "Not necessarily this type of person," she pointed to herself. "But maybe other types of people."

"Mmhm," Caroline smirked at her. "I have to get changed and then we can stop for a drink on the way home?"

Elena checked her watch. It was still fairly early considering how late she thought she'd be out. "I have to call to check on things at home then sure."

She watched Caroline's bouncy blonde hair disappear behind the locker room door before leaning against the wall to wait on her. She dug her phone out of her purse and clicked on her little brother's name to call him. It rang three times and she was beginning to panic momentarily before she heard his voice on the other end of the line.

"Relax, sis. You haven't even be gone two hours," Jeremy's voice rang into her ear.

Elena sighed in relief, happy to hear that everything sounded okay. "I know, but it's almost nine. Did I miss bedtime already?"

"You gave me strict instructions to make sure Addie was in bed by eight-thirty so yeah, she's asleep. And you're probably missing one hell of a fight by checking up on us right now," he added.

She rolled her eyes at him. When Caroline had practically begged Elena to come to this fight for moral support, she'd tried to use the _Addie excuse_ to get out of it. Luckily, or unluckily for her, Jeremy waltzed in from the kitchen moments later chomping down on a sandwich and promising to babysit. It wasn't like she got out much these days. Single mothers rarely did. Jeremy was determined to make sure she had a night out like a normal twenty-three year old every once in a while, even if he had to practically push her out the front door sometimes while Addie called for his presence at her grand tea party. It took Caroline pulling Elena by the arm for ten minutes and Jeremy going over Addie's bedtime routine with Elena three times to get her even leave the house tonight.

"So she didn't give you any trouble when it came time to go to sleep?" Elena pressed on as she anxiously fiddled with the VIP pass around her neck. She needed to confirm again that everything was okay at home.

Jeremy chuckled. "She made me read _Goodnight Moon_ three times, but other than that she was a perfect angel. I got this, Elena. Can you please just have a good evening with Caroline for me?"

Elena sighed. Jeremy may have really wanted her to have a normal twenty-three year old night old, but she was far from that. Taking care of Adaline had become such a large part of her life that it was difficult for her to put aside her motherly duties for anything, even temporarily. Sometimes she felt guilty for even trying, especially given everything her daughter had already been through for such a young age.

Her brother clearly sensed the ongoing war waging inside of her head. "Addie barely noticed you were gone," Jeremy added. "Stop trying to guilt trip yourself into coming home early."

"Fine," she relented, letting her head fall back to rest on the wall behind her. "But if she has a nightmare, if she even wakes up before I get home, you'll call me?"

"Pinky swear."

"Okay. I'll be home before midnight," Elena promised.

"Or don't," Jeremy replied coolly. "Take your time. I live here. I'm not going anywhere."

With another roll of her eyes, Elena told her younger brother thank you for the fiftieth time before she ended the call. Her gaze looked up from putting her phone away to see an entire entourage of reporters and flashing camera bulbs breeze past her, seemingly chasing after someone important. Some of them were full on sprinting to catch up with whoever it was.

Caroline emerged from the locker room, now wearing jeans and a tight crop top. It wasn't a conservative outfit by any means, but it'd be a hell of a lot warmer than her ring girl uniform in the early October weather.

"Everything okay with Addie and Jer?" she asked, throwing her hair into a high ponytail while balancing her duffel bag on her shoulder.

Elena nodded. "His biggest grievance was that I called to check up on him."

"That sounds about right," Caroline laughed. She secured her ponytail on top of her head and then linked arms with Elena. "I need a drink and I know you need a drink. Let's get out of here."

The two of them walked together down the long hallway towards the back entrance of the arena. They were lucky enough that they'd be able to avoid the inevitable crowd that was probably still swarming the main entrance in the hopes for autographs. They passed the pressroom on the way out and the sounds of journalists shouting questions emitted from it.

"Damon! What do you have to say to Klaus now that you've successfully taken on his younger brother?" one reported shouted loudly.

A low and throaty chuckle came through the speakers. "I don't have anything to say to him that can't wait until I see him in the Octagon again," a husky voice confidently spoke. "He won't be able to sucker punch me again like he did in Vegas. I'm ready for him."

"What an arrogant ass," Elena softly reviled to Caroline as she continued to walk by the room.

"Can we actually peak our heads in for just a couple of minutes?" Caroline said, hope evident in her tone as she tugged Elena towards the doorway. "If I keep getting booked for the fights, I can hopefully start making appearances in the pressroom afterwards. I kind of want to see what it's like."

Elena nodded her head and followed Caroline's lead. As they took a couple steps into the room, they were nearly blinded by the amount of camera flashes going off. It was like a strobe light show in there, but once Elena's eyes adjusted she was able to take a look at what all of the fuss was about.

The darker haired fighter from earlier, the one who won the match, was standing onstage behind a podium that had several microphones attached to it. He was still sweaty, but his lip appeared to have been patched up and he had a plain black tshirt on with his black shorts from earlier. He looked exhausted, but haughty and energetic at the same time, like his veins were still pumping him full of adrenaline. He was surrounded by a team of people who were all intently focused on him, like he was a valuable piece of merchandise that they were responsible for both marketing and protecting.

It was a lot to take in, but what Elena kept coming back to was his eyes. They were a fierce and intense blue, the kind of blue that could pierce right through your heart if you weren't careful, but most of all they were incredibly sad. Sad about what, she wasn't sure, but they were definitely sad and she recognized it because it was similar to the kind of sadness that she carried in her own eyes.

"Damon, it's been nearly a year since Vegas. What were you doing during that time?" a female journalist towards the front asked him.

"I drank a lot, fucked a lot." he responded dryly, snorting through his nose before he actually delved into a sincere answer. "I trained even more. Like I said before, I'm stronger. I'm faster. I'm ready to take back my title."

A sandy blonde haired man standing to his left stepped forward and leaned over to speak into the microphones. "That's all the questions we have time for today. Thank you."

* * *

"Well I think that went pretty well, don't you?" Damon sarcastically asked as he made his way to the locker room, his brother's frantic footsteps right on his heels.

Normally he'd let Rose and Stefan debrief him on what went well after the pressroom and what didn't. Well, before Vegas anyway. But now, all he could think about was the shower that he desperately desired and the comfort that the bottle of bourbon in his apartment would later offer him. He didn't much care to stay and discuss PR strategy.

After Stefan abruptly ended the press conference due to his smart ass remark, Damon practically sprinted for the locker room and his brother was forced to have this brief conversation en route to what was probably going to be the most glorious shower known to man.

"You can't say things like that," Stefan chastised. "Now Rose will have to do major damage control."

Damon pushed the door of the locker room open. "Let my fighting speak for itself and stop putting me in front of the damn cameras then," he griped.

"It's part of the deal, Damon. You know it is. Dad only agreed to fund this whole thing if you made nice with the media. You don't have enough sponsors yet to do this without him," Stefan lectured as he followed in behind Damon.

"I just want to get my title back from Klaus. The rest of this shit is just in the way. I played nice before and look where it got me," Damon said pointedly, slipping his tshirt over his head and grabbing a towel from his locker. "Now if you'll excuse me, the sooner I get in the shower, the sooner I can get the fuck out of here."

Stefan let out a defeated sigh and stepped aside to let Damon walk towards the shower stalls. There was no way he was going to get through to his brother right now and he knew it.

The water was warm, which was exactly what Damon had been looking forward to. The fight had only lasted one round, but his muscles were already starting to get sore. He hadn't really taken a beating since Vegas, and while his busted lip didn't even come close to that, his body wasn't happy with him in the current moment.

He'd trained really hard during his recovery. He'd practiced sparring with Alaric, lifted weights, and done a lot of cardio. He did everything you could think of that would make him a better fighter. None of it compared to the adrenaline rush he felt from just that one round against Kol, the thrill when the ref raised his hand in the air to declare him as the winner, the knowing feeling that he'd come out on top this time.

After he got patched up, Rose and Damon rushed him off to the pressroom so he could be berated with questions. The cameras had chased them all the way down the hallway as he was surrounded by sponsors and security. He barely even got a minute to just breathe and relax and enjoy the fucking moment, which is why he was itching to get back to the locker room and why he made the snide comment that he knew would cause Stefan to let him out of there.

Another one of his father's long list of stipulations was that Stefan had the very unfortunate job of being Damon's manager. Admittedly, Damon was not an easy person to manage. Really the only people he gave a fuck about were Alaric and Rose, and he'd barely listened to their advice half of the time.

Alaric had been Damon's head trainer since he was an amateur. They'd risen together and it would have been easy for Damon to just write him as someone who was riding on his coattails, but that wasn't the case with Alaric. They were friends outside of work, drinking buddies even. Alaric had been personally responsible for getting Damon from that hospital bed in Vegas back into the Octagon tonight. He'd been there every step of the way, taking the majority of Damon's wrath as he struggled to get his body back where it needed to be.

Rose came along a little later, at the cusp of Damon's UFC career when he was starting to become a known name. He tried dropping said name when he hit on her at an after party for one of his fights and she was hardly impressed, saying that if he had a decent PR team everyone would know him by now. What he meant to be a one night stand turned into a job interview and he hired her that night at the party. Rose didn't take any shit from Damon. She was tough and she told it to him like it was. Not even his trademark smirk could get her to go easy on him when he inevitably fucked up. He was kind of thankful that she seemed to be immune to his charms because she was one hell of a publicist and he couldn't fuck around with the person responsible for making him look good.

Besides those two people, Damon didn't really trust anyone else these days. He tolerated Stefan because he had to. He was appreciative of his father's money, but he wouldn't exactly call them close. He didn't have any other friends because inevitably someone always wanted something from him. He didn't have the time or the patience for a girlfriend, preferring a string of one night stands to satisfy his urges instead.

After his mother passed away from cancer three years ago, there wasn't really anyone else in his corner. That one really did a number on him. Watching her wither away into a shell of the vibrant woman she was once was one of the most difficult things he'd gone through and the pain of what happened to him in Vegas didn't even come close to the pain of losing the person who brought him into this world. Sure, Stefan may have been the baby of the family, but Luciana Salvatore always treated Damon like he'd saved her life and that's because he had. During the times when her marriage had been the toughest, it was Damon who took her by the hand and told her everything was going to be okay. It killed him that he couldn't do that when she'd been diagnosed with the disease that took her from him.

"Well I'd say all those hours in the gym cussing me out for pushing you so hard paid off." Alaric's voice interrupted the peaceful solace of Damon's shower.

Damon opened his eyes and he could see his trainer's shadow through the cream colored curtain. "Yeah, but I let him land a couple of hits. Can't let that happen again," he gruffly responded as he tilted his head back and let the water rinse his dark hair.

"Oh c'mon, you knocked him out in the first round!"

"That won't fly when I finally fight Klaus again. I need to be unstoppable." And it was true. While Damon had been slaving away training to make a comeback, Klaus was on a winning streak. He himself had become unstoppable. To beat someone like that required a lot more than what Damon had shown tonight.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow morning at eight sharp," Alaric replied. "And don't you gripe to me when your arms and legs start to feel like jelly two hours in."

Damon smirked to himself because he knew he probably would do just that. "Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

As is often the case with Caroline, one drink turned into two and two turned into five, which then turned into shots. Elena was pretty much sober, only having a couple of beers herself. With her best friend's arm wrapped around her shoulder, she supported the majority of her body weight as she dragged her out into the parking lot and towards the car.

"Elenaaaaaa," Caroline giggled as she plopped into the passenger seat of her Acura. "Thanks for driving us home."

Smiling at her giddiness, Elena buckled Caroline's seatbelt for her then slipped herself into the driver's seat. Thank God she was very familiar with how to drive a stick shift because otherwise she'd be screwed trying to drive Caroline's car. "Alright drunkie," she began as she pulled out of the parking lot. "When we get back to my house, you have to be super quiet or else you'll wake up Addie and then you'll have to deal with the wrath of a toddler who is awake past midnight. Not fun, trust me."

Caroline puckered her lips together and put her index finger over them. "Shhhhhh," she said.

The action made Elena chuckle. "Yes, exactly like that."

"Quiet as a mouse," Caroline mumbled before falling asleep with her head rested against the glass of the passenger side window.

The car ride home took them back past the arena where the fight had been and the parking lot was mostly empty by now, with a few lingering cars scattered in it probably from fans that were too drunk to drive themselves home. Elena began to let her mind drift to the fighter with the sad, blue eyes. Damon Salvatore. The name rolled off of her tongue like honey and she'd be lying to herself if she didn't at least admit he was attractive, even if he kind of seemed like a smug asshole.

It had been a long time since she'd let a man touch her intimately, almost a year actually. A lot of that had to do with Addie. She couldn't bring random men around her daughter, who was already kind of weary of strangers to begin with. Even though she had a stable babysitter in Jeremy, she felt like she owed it to her daughter to be there and present as much as she possibly could. It was her way of making up for the first couple years of her life, which had been traumatic to say the least.

So between Addie and work, she didn't have time for romance. Elena ran her family's garage after her father retired this past year. She knew a lot more about cars than anyone would know from looking at her. Ever since she could walk, she'd spent her afternoons at the garage underneath the hood of a car with her dad. At first, she'd just hand him tools when he asked for them but as she got older, she desired to do a little work herself. By high school, she was a bonafide mechanic in her own right and it was much to the dismay of her father. He wanted her to go to college then get a corporate job, but all she wanted to do was work at the garage. That's what she did and that's where she met Liam and that's how Addie came along.

Before she could dwell too much on the past, she pulled into the driveway in front of her small home. She carefully reached over and poked Caroline in the shoulder. "Care, we're here."

Caroline responded with a groan, but made no real movements so Elena poked her a little harsher the second time around. That seemed to do the trick and Caroline threw open the passenger side door and tried in vain to get out of the car with her seatbelt still on.

"I'm just gonna sleep in the driveway. You go, you go," Caroline mumbled once she realized she was stuck.

Elena reached over and unbuckled her friend's seatbelt, causing Caroline to topple out of the car onto the pavement below. Before Elena could rush around to check on her and help her up, Caroline's hand shot in the air with a thumbs up sign. "I'm good. I got this," she said with confidence as she pushed herself up off the ground and regained her balance. Miraculously, she followed along behind Elena to the front door.

The house was dark and quiet, which wasn't surprising given how late it was. Elena glanced over to the couch and Jeremy's sleeping form rested comfortably there. She tapped him gently to wake him.

"Thank you again," she whispered to him as his eyes opened. "I'm sure you have better things to do on Saturday night than hang out with your niece. I can't imagine the frat parties you missed back on campus."

"Don't mention it," he whispered back, not making a move to get up. "You have way better food here. We all know I come by for the food."

"And when you need me to do your laundry," she smiled at him.

Jeremy yawned. "That too."

"Goodnight, kid." Elena reached to grab a blanket off the back of the couch to cover him.

She turned just in time to see Caroline struggling to kick her own shoes off, almost falling for the second time since they'd gotten back. She walked over, offering her shoulder so that Caroline could use it to balance.

"That's my couch," Caroline pouted, sticking out her lip.

Elena rolled her eyes. She'd been best friends with Caroline since they were seven and this was probably their hundredth sleepover. "Sleepovers are best in the same room, right? C'mon. I'll get you a t-shirt."

"You are the greatest friend ever," Caroline mumbled as she planted herself facedown into a pillow on Elena's bed.

"Obviously." Ignoring the soft sounds of snoring beside of her, Elena's mind was clouded with dreams of sad blue eyes and jet black hair that night.

* * *

Damon threw his gym bag over his shoulder and tilted his water bottle up. It had been a rough morning workout and Alaric pushed him hard, but he needed it. He was grateful for it. But now, he was exhausted and sweaty.

"Drinks tonight?" Alaric smiled as they walked out into the parking lot together. "Your treat, obviously."

"Yep. The Grille at nine." He pulled out his keys and unlocked the doors to his Camaro, his most prized possession. He'd bought it to reward himself when he won his first UFC fight, just a rusty shell with a whole lot of potential. Since then, he'd completely restored it himself on his days off. He loved that car more than he loved bourbon and he loved bourbon a whole hell of a lot.

Speaking of which, he had a tumbler of it calling his name after his well-earned shower at home. It was past noon. He was a grown and very thirsty man. He could have a glass of bourbon if he wanted to. The Camaro's engine roared to life and Damon took the long way back to his apartment to enjoy the ride. He cut through a neighborhood he didn't drive in very often, a quiet little suburb with a bunch of family homes lined next to each other. It was a quiet Sunday morning drive, save for the music he had coming through the speakers of the blue car.

There wasn't much traffic around so he rolled through a stop sign without really looking, thinking he was in the all clear. He was wrong. A red truck collided with his passenger side door, sending the Camaro spinning in a circle in the middle of the intersection. Damon tightly gripped the wheel, all the while thinking about how much shit he'd be in if Rose found out about this. They'd had discussions about his disregard for the laws of the road before. Damon was a very capable driver. He just didn't have time for things like stop signs and speed limits.

Once the car stopped spinning, Damon went from thinking about the wrath of Rose to the state of his treasured car. Without much regard for his own well being, he jumped out and ran over to the passenger side to survey the damage. He ran a hand over the door. It was mostly superficial, just a big dent in the door and a copy of tiny scratches in the paint. Damon sighed in relief. His baby would survive.

"I didn't see you, man. I'm sorry."

The culprit of said superficial damage had hopped down from his truck and ran over to where he was standing. Damon stared him down. He was just a kid, probably fresh out of high school. He couldn't bring himself to be too hard of him, especially since he was the one who went through the intersection without looking.

"It's uh, it's fine," Damon mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "You alright, kid?"

The guy's eyes went wide as he nodded his head. "You're Damon Salvatore, aren't you?"

Still dressed in his gym clothes, Damon looked down at his sneakers and groaned. The last thing he needed was some kid telling TMZ about this. The wrath of Rose would be in full swing if this got into the media. He could just hear the fiery redhead mouthing off now. With a reluctant nod of his head, he looked up at the guy's awestruck expression. "I am. Let's just keep this between us, what do you say?"

"My family actually owns a garage. We could get your car fixed there and no one would ever know." The guy extended his hand out. "I'm Jeremy Gilbert. Good to meet you, Damon."

It was a nice offer, especially since the accident was entirely Damon's fault, but he wasn't about to let just any mechanic get their grubby hands on his precious Camaro. The thing was vintage and not everyone knew how to be delicate with it like he did. He stood there debating how to politely decline the offer. He didn't want to offend Jeremy, lest he end up going to the media.

"My dad loves old school Camaros. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to pop that dent out of the door," Jeremy added in an effort to convince him.

"Lead the way, kid." If he could get this damage fixed without anyone knowing, that would be ideal. Maybe another Camaro connoisseur would take almost as good of care as he would himself. He hopped back behind the wheel of his car and followed the red truck to a garage about ten minutes down the road.

They pulled into the parking lot and Jeremy got out of his truck, walking over to Damon's car. Damon rolled down his window. "Is your dad here today?" he asked.

"He's retired, but I have the next best thing coming down here. Just sit tight," Jeremy answered him.

He did just that, leaning back into the comfortable black leather seat and waiting for this magical mechanic to show up. He even thought about taking a nap while he waited, the early fall breeze comforting him as it wafted in through his open window. A few minutes later, a little black Honda CRV came rolling into the parking lot. Damon scoffed. Hardly the car of a master mechanic, more like a soccer mom car. Maybe he just needed to roll out of here before they made the dent worse.

The driver's door of the CRV flew open and a fury of brunette curls emerged from it. She marched up to where Jeremy was standing and unleashed a lecture on him.

"You hit someone and then you brought them here so I could fix it on my day off? Jer, I told you to drive safely back to campus. Are you hurt? Is the other driver okay? I had to leave Addie with a hungover Caroline and haul ass over here! Please tell me you're not injured at least!" Her expression went from angry to concerned back to angry rather quickly as she released her tirade.

Damon watched from his car in amazement as the petite woman stared up at Jeremy with absolutely no disregard for the fact that he stood at least a foot taller than her. Jeremy started to mumble something to her and it was much quieter so he couldn't make it out. All he could see was the woman looking back and forth between his car and Jeremy. Surely she couldn't be the mechanic that Jeremy was talking about, right? She didn't look like any mechanic he'd ever met. She must have been an office assistant or something.

He watched her hips swayed in her jeans as she walked towards his car and he struggled not to make it painfully obvious that he was staring at her cleavage as she leaned her head down to the window to talk to him. He saw her lips moving, but he was too busy imagining how they would taste to hear the words coming out of them.

"So just pull your car up there and leave the keys in it. I'll unlock the office and you can wait in there while I pop that dent out. Shouldn't take long. Trust me, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

Only catching the tail end of what she said, Damon knew he had to have misheard her. He shook his head and furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Well do you want me to fix it or not? I've got a three year old at home waiting for me to get back and make her lunch so I can't exactly stand here in the parking lot all day." She rolled her eyes at him and waited for his response.

"You're going to try to fix my car?" Damon almost started to laugh, but she cut him off before he could.

She took a deep breath and then let him have it. "Yes, you misogynistic asshole. This is Gilbert's Garage. I'm Elena Gilbert and I specialize in hot rods, but if you'd rather me call one of my employees just so you can feel comfortable having a man work on your car, then let me know so I can do that and go home." Her tone told him that this was not the first time someone had given her this reaction and it also told him that she had the skills to back up the attitude she was giving him.

The girl had guts. He'd give her that. With a shrug of his shoulders, Damon started up his car and pulled into the spot she'd indicated earlier. He turned off the engine, left the keys in the ignition, and stepped out. Against his better judgment, he left his prized possession in the hands of a woman he'd just met.

His knee bounced anxiously up and down as he sat waiting in the office. Jeremy tried to engage him in small talk, but Damon kept his attention firmly planted on the ticking second hand of the clock on the wall. It took everything in his power not to jump out of the uncomfortable plastic chair and go check on his car. It had been exactly twenty-two minutes and fourteen seconds since he let it out of his sight and it was the most nerve-wracking twenty-two minutes and fourteen seconds of his life, including any fight he'd ever been in.

"My sister's really good. The best, really. She's been around cars since before I was born," Jeremy tried to reassure him.

"No offense, but your sister is kind of bossy," Damon answered. "I just hope she's as good with cars as she is at yelling."

"She's just mad that I made her come down here on her day off. She went to your fight last night actually. She's probably still tired and she hates missing out on time with her kid."

Damon arched a brow, eyes still focused on the clock. "So she's a UFC fan? Most fans are a little nicer to me than that."

"I wouldn't say she's a fan," Jeremy chuckled. "Her best friend is a ring girl. She wasn't there by choice."

"Your car's fixed," Elena said as she poked her head through the doorway, surprisingly in a better mood. It seemed that working on cars was as cathartic for her as fighting was for him.

He shot up from his chair and raced back out the parking lot to check out the door. He ran his hand over the metal and it was smooth, like nothing had ever even happened. It was a better job than even he could have done and he was happy to discover that she backed up her slight haughtiness from earlier.

"You'll have to buff those scratches out and get a touch up on the paint," Elena said from behind him. "But at least the dent is gone."

He turned to look at her, hands shoved into the back pockets of her tight jeans and a thin sheen of sweat littering her chest. Even if she hadn't just fixed his car, he would have wanted to fuck her. As it was, now he just really wanted to fuck her on the hood of said car. He must have been staring a little too hard because she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Thanks. You kind of saved my ass," he sincerely admitted. "I'd be in a fuck ton of trouble if my publicist found out about this."

She picked at her nails casually. "I guess we all have to answer to someone, even you."

"How much do I owe you?" he asked. It really was incredible work she'd done and if he couldn't compensate her with sex, he could at least pay her for it.

"VIP passes for my kid brother and one of his friends to your next fight," she negotiated.

Easy enough for him. "Done. I'll mail them here?"

"Sure." She nodded her head and made eye contact with him. Her brown eyes were surprisingly soft, juxtaposed with the hard exterior of her personality.

Damon moved to get into his repaired car, but he thought he should at least try to see her again. He was sure that she'd shoot him down immediately, but he owed it to himself to ask this headstrong, bossy, talented goddess out sometime. She was fucking beautiful and he'd be kicking himself later if he didn't make an effort at the very least.

"Will you come too?" he asked her.

"What?" She looked a little taken aback by his question.

"To my next fight," he clarified. "I can send another set of passes for you and a friend. Will you come? Maybe I can take you out afterwards?"

Elena honestly looked truly shocked that he'd asked and it took her a minute to respond. "Maybe. If I can get a babysitter, I might consider it."

A maybe was a better than a no. Damon nodded his head and smirked at her. "I'm willing to take a shot at those odds."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is part 1 of a 2 part update! Yes, you read that correctly.**

 **Some of this chapter is heavy with UFC & MMA terms so if you get lost reading that part, Google will be your best friend. Or just know that Damon is a badass fighter who knows his shit.**

 **Happy Reading!**

* * *

With a quick swipe at her forehead with the back of her hand, Elena dove her head back underneath the hood of a silver Corvette. She placed the socket wrench on the desired bolt and pulled to tighten it back into place. It had been a hell of a week at the shop, cars coming in left and right, all with time consuming repairs. Usually, Elena split her time between the actual garage and her small office upstairs. She loved getting her hands dirty, but she also had paperwork that needed to be done. This week hadn't provided her with very much time for paperwork at all and she'd been working on this Corvette for hours now. Of all the car owners she saw come through her garage, Corvette owners were the worst. They always drove like they were on a racetrack, which was needlessly rough on the car. This time, the guy had worn down his power steering and it took most of her Friday afternoon to replace it.

Finally satisfied with the job, she shut the hood of the car and let out a breath that briefly blew some errant strands of hair out of her face. A gentle hand clamped down on her shoulder and she was about to turn to yell at whoever it was, but she visibly relaxed once she realized it was just Matt standing behind her.

Matt Donovan had been working at Gilbert's Garage for about five years now. The former quarterback of the football team and a couple years older than Elena, she'd always had a crush on him throughout high school. By the time he started working at the garage for her dad, she was already involved with Liam and she missed her chance with him. It was actually a blessing because it gave her a chance to see Matt in a different way. So when Liam pulled his epic disappearing act on her, Matt stepped in to help her pick up the pieces of her life. She already knew he was a damn good mechanic, but he'd proven to be an even more valuable friend to her.

"It's been a week, hasn't it?" he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back onto one of the workbenches in the garage.

"Why must all men drive their cars like they're being chased by the police?" Elena muttered, grabbing a red rag out of the back pocket of her jeans. She used it to wipe away some oil that had gotten on her hands. "They don't take care of them the way they should. This is a $60,000 car and the guy treats it like it's just a hunk of scrap metal."

"We have issues with our masculinity," Matt supposed, shrugging his shoulders casually.

Elena chuckled at him as she threw the dirty rag into a pile with the others. "Yeah, this guy has major masculinity issues."

"So what's for dinner, Gilbert? I haven't seen Addie in ages!" Matt said, following her up the stairs to her office.

Elena plopped down in the chair in front of the banged up metal desk. "Is that your way of inviting yourself over for dinner again? It's bad enough I have to feed Caroline and Bonnie tonight. Now you too?" she teased.

"Take out?" he suggested as sat in the chair across from her.

"Addie's been begging me all week for pizza so possibly," she mused. "I just hate to feed her that junk. It's barely any vegetables."

"You worry too much. Kids love pizza and tomatoes are a vegetable."

"Tomatoes are a fruit," Elena corrected.

Matt laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back into the chair. "Same thing."

Ignoring his pleas for food, Elena tried to concentrate on the paperwork before her. She chewed on the end of her pen with her front teeth as she flipped through all of the invoices for the week, making sure that the all payments had been collected correctly. She began to get a little uncomfortable with Matt just sitting there, so she waved him off with her hand. "Will you call Camaro guy and tell him his manhood is ready to be picked up? And give him this when he gets here," she said as she handed Matt the invoice for the power steering repair.

"You got it, boss." Matt stood and started to exit her tiny office.

"I hate it when you call me that," Elena mumbled to him with a shake of her head before she watched his form retreat back down the steps.

The quiet of her office allowed her to reflect on her week. There wasn't a daycare in the world that Elena felt comfortable leaving her daughter at so she was thankful that her father and stepmother could babysit Addie on weekdays. Addie loved staying with her grandparents during the day while Elena was at work, but her father had a doctor's appointment this past Monday so Elena had to bring Addie into work. She spent the whole day trying to balance everything and it had been utterly exhausting. She was wearing too many hats and she knew it. Small business owner, full-time mechanic, and single mom. One of those was enough for most people and yet she was trying to juggle all three. It often felt like she was just barely keeping her head above water.

Tuesday brought along a whole new set of issues as Elena spent the majority of the day with the safety inspector going over every single inch of her garage. She knew she kept a clean and safe work environment for her employees, but the scrutiny that the safety inspector used made her second-guess herself and it wasn't a good feeling.

On Wednesday, Tyler called in to tell her that he'd come down with the flu so he'd be out of the shop for the rest of the week. Being one mechanic short on an already busy week meant that she had to pull extra hours actually working on cars and less time actually managing things behind the scenes. Luckily, Bonnie had stepped up to make sure all of the t's were crossed and i's were dotted on the paperwork side of things. Bonnie was a fantastic receptionist, but she was honestly more than that. She was a tremendous friend and a bonafide rock when Elena needed one the most.

Addie didn't sleep at all Wednesday night, which made her extremely cranky on Thursday morning. When Elena went to drop her off at Grayson and Miranda's that day, she threw a temper tantrum the minute she was out of her car seat. It wasn't like her to be that difficult, but her daughter cherished her beauty sleep almost as much as she did so she was uncharacteristically but understandably cranky that morning.

The clock was ticking on her Friday afternoon and she was ready to get out of here and back to Addie as quickly as possible. Tonight was Damon's fight and she wanted to get some quality time in with her before she left. She wasn't originally planning on going. Jeremy was already going to be at the fight so he couldn't watch the little one, Caroline had her second gig as a ring girl, Tyler was sick, Matt would just feed Addie junk food, and Bonnie would have been the one person she was going to bring with her to the fight.

With no real options, she'd informed Jeremy on Wednesday that he and his friend would have to go alone. When Jeremy basically tattled on Elena to her father that she was forgoing VIP passes, her dad offered to babysit that evening and she couldn't exactly turn him down. There was a reason Elena hadn't asked her father in the first place. He already took care of Addie Monday through Friday during the day. To ask him to dedicate a Friday night too would have been unfair, but he was very sincere in his offer. Hesitantly, and without much of a way out, she agreed.

"Ready to head out of here?" Bonnie interrupted Elena's work. "It's that time."

Elena snapped her head up to see Bonnie standing in the doorway, clad in her usual skinny jeans, Chuck Taylors, and oversized band tee. "Uh, yeah. Caroline's meeting us at my house for dinner then we can drop Addie off with dad on the way to the arena. Matt's coming to hang for a little bit too." Elena shuffled her papers into a stack and stood up from her desk.

"Perfect. I'll follow you." Bonnie nodded then turned on her heel.

* * *

Elena watched as Addie made an absolute mess of the slice of pepperoni pizza in front of her. Thank God for highchairs, or she would have probably been leaving a trail of pizza sauce all over the living room by now.

"I love pizza, Momma!" Addie exclaimed as she tore some of the cheese off with her fingers.

Elena chuckled and tried to wipe some of the sauce off of her daughter's mouth to no avail. "You're going to need a bath before we take you to go see Grandpa and Grandma, aren't you?"

"Oh, I'll bathe her while you get ready," Caroline volunteered as she sipped from her Diet Coke. "Salvatore is totally into you. You'll want to look hot."

Elena shot a pointed glance in her direction. She was hoping to avoid discussing such things in front of Addie.

In response, Caroline threw her hands in front of her defensively. "Relax. She wasn't even listening."

Caroline was right though. Elena took a glance over to Addie in her high chair, swinging her legs back and forth as she babbled to Matt about something, her hands covered in pizza sauce. She had wavy brown hair like her mother, which Elena always tied back into pigtails during dinner time to avoid getting food in it. She giggled as Matt poked at her cheeks.

"Momma says I have to take a bath," Addie pouted at Matt.

"Oh she did?" Matt asked back, to which he was met with a nod.

Elena may have been a single mother, but Addie had more than enough Aunts and Uncles to go around. Uncle Jeremy was her favorite uncle, mostly because he would let her pretend to do his hair. Uncle Matt and Uncle Tyler were always willing to run around outside with her. Aunt Bonnie was more responsible, always reading books to her whenever the chance arose. Aunt Caroline would hold impromptu dance parties in the living room with her. They all had their own special relationships with Addie, but they had one thing in common. They all loved her immensely.

"C'mon, munchkin," Caroline cooed at Addie as she unbuckled her from her highchair. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Once Caroline disappeared down the hallway with Addie, Bonnie, Matt, and Elena sat at the kitchen table for a few moments in silence. Matt began to nervously rub the back of his neck before he cleared his throat, which caught Bonnie and Elena's attention.

"I'll help with the dishes then get out of your hair. I'm sure you'll want to get ready for your big night out," he said as he stood up and started to collect their plates.

"You don't have to do that." Elena followed behind him with a couple of cups. One of the best things about delivery pizza was that there wasn't much in the way of dishes afterward.

Bonnie stood up and started to walk into the living room, rubbing her stomach with her hand. "If you guys need me, I'll be on the couch digesting my food."

Matt started to run a little dishwater so he could rinse off the plates. Elena hated when people just put dishes with food stuck on them directly into the dishwasher. They always had to be rinsed first. Matt learned that one the hard way once.

Elena let out a laugh as Matt handed her a rinsed plate to put into the dishwasher.

"What's so funny?" he asked her.

"Remember when you tried to put a bowl with sauce all over it into my dishwasher?" she said through laughter.

Matt began laughing too. "Remember? How could I forget? You nearly pushed me down trying to get it out of the dishwasher before I closed it."

"If you put dishes in there with food on them, it'll make the dishwasher smell," she tried to explain again.

He handed her the last plate. "Dishwashers are meant to wash dishes. What's the point if you have to wash them beforehand?"

"Well you're washing them now," Elena proudly pointed out.

"Your house, your rules," he admitted with a shake of his head.

"Ugh, guys?" Bonnie's voice came from the living room. "When Tyler said he had the flu, did he happen to say that it started with chills?"

Elena quickly closed the dishwasher, pressed the start button, and darted into the living room to find Bonnie curled up onto the couch with a throw blanket thrown over top of her. She was shivering, but also sweating. Her mom instincts kicked in as she felt Bonnie's forehead with the back of her hand.

"My stomach felt weird after dinner, but I just thought I may have eaten too much," Bonnie groaned.

Elena pulled her hand away and looked at Bonnie sympathetically. "You definitely have a fever. Not exactly fit to go to a UFC fight, wouldn't you say?"

"You are not using me as an excuse, Elena Gilbert. We're going." Bonnie began to throw the blanket off of herself and stand up, but she didn't get far before she plopped back on the couch. "The room is spinning, isn't it?"

Matt emerged with a glass of water and some Advil for Bonnie. "This was all that really helped Tyler. Sleep, water, and Advil."

"You aren't going anywhere. Rest," Elena softly commanded. "And don't go near Addie. Dear God, if my high maintenance child gets the flu, she'll be in bed for weeks. I'm going to call Jeremy and say we can't make it. He and his friend can go without us."

"Oh c'mon," Bonnie whined. "At least take someone else. Take Matt!"

"Then who will take care of you if we both leave? Caroline is working," Elena reasoned.

"I can stay to take care of Bonnie. You could ride with Caroline," Matt offered, being way too helpful for his own good.

"Fine," Elena relented. She turned to Matt, placing a hand on his shoulder as a silent thank you before she went to go check on Addie and Caroline.

After arguing with Caroline over outfit choices for what was probably half an hour, Elena remained strong in her decision to wear jeans and Keds. She did, however, agree to ditch the t-shirt for a more form fitting red blouse that usually hung in the very back of her closet. It dipped low to show off more cleavage that she would normally allow so she found herself subconsciously adjusting the neckline as she sat in the passenger seat of Caroline's car on the way to her father's house to drop off Addie. She felt her daughter's little feet bouncing against the back of her seat and she turned around to look at her.

"Are you kicking Momma's seat?" she asked her.

"Sorry Momma," Addie answered, one hand clutching her nighttime blanket that she couldn't sleep without. Her eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. "Grandpa said we can watch Frozen!"

"He did?" Elena smiled. She'd seen the movie herself about a million times already, knew all the words to the songs and everything. Her father had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"Mhm," Addie nodded her head happily.

"We're here," Caroline sang as they pulled into the Grayson Gilbert's driveway. She turned to look at Addie as well. "Those are cute PJs! You got your blanket?"

Addie nodded and held it up.

Elena got out of the car and went about unbuckling Addie from her car seat. "You excited to have a sleepover?" she asked her.

"Yeah," Addie said as she clutched onto Elena's neck and laid her head on her shoulder.

Elena sighed. She didn't have much time before Addie would be too big to hold like this. She needed to cherish this time while she still could. "I love you, sugarfoot," she whispered into Addie's ear.

"Love you too, Momma."

Caroline grabbed Addie's overnight bag from the car and followed behind Elena, ringing the doorbell for her since she had her hands full already.

Grayson opened the door within a few seconds, like he'd been anxiously awaiting their arrival at the door for some time now. "My favorite girls!" he exclaimed. "Well, minus one. Where's Bonnie?" He tried peeking around outside to see if he could spot her.

"Flu," Elena muttered as she took a couple steps inside her childhood home. "She's making me go without her."

Addie reached out for the embrace of the woman who had raised Elena as her own, Miranda Gilbert. Elena had never met her birth mother, never so much as asked her father what her name was. She didn't really want to know. Knowing that the woman had fled just weeks after she was born was enough. Besides, it wasn't like she was lacking in the family department. She had a true mother in Miranda, someone who taught her to ride a bike, bandaged her knees when she inevitably fell off said bike, forced her into frilly dresses for picture day at school, and cheered embarrassingly loud for her at any awards ceremony.

If Elena could be that to Addie, she knew she'd be doing things right. That was why it was so important to her that her daughter know she was loved. Already down one parent, Elena felt she needed to do her share and then some to make up for Liam's absence. Fortunately, Addie hadn't started asking where her dad was just yet but the unavoidable conversation was coming. And it was not a conversation that Elena was looking forward to.

"My brown eyed angel!" Miranda exclaimed as she took Addie into her arms. "We're going to make cookies tonight!"

"Grandpa said we can watch Frozen!" Addie excitedly told her.

"You're going to want to preface that with a maximum number of times that she can watch it," Elena said with a smile. "Otherwise, it'll be on all night."

Grayson took Addie's pink overnight bag from Caroline and placed the strap over his shoulder. "She's in good hands," he tried to reassure Elena.

"I know," she nodded to him. "Doesn't mean that I'm not going to call and check in. Maybe I can say goodnight before she falls asleep."

"Addie, tell your mom that we're going to have the best sleepover ever and not to worry about us," Miranda sweetly cooed to the little one in her arms, nuzzling their noses together.

"Cookies! Frozen! Grandma and Grandpa!" Addie cheered.

"Seriously, sweetheart. We have this covered. We raised you and your brother and you guys only had to go to the hospital for broken arms once each," Grayson joked, clamping a hand on Elena's shoulder.

"If she breaks her arm, you guys make sure to call me," Elena protested.

Grayson turned to Caroline. "Force her to have fun?"

"I'll do what I can," Caroline nodded.

"Are you two meeting Jeremy there?" Miranda asked, trying to get a sense of their plans. She still worried about her youngest at times. He was technically an adult now, but he hadn't quite gotten the whole responsibility thing down pat yet.

Elena pulled out her phone from her pack pocket to check the time. "They're actually waiting on us now, I think."

"Well by all means, get out of here!" Grayson shooed them out the front door from whence they came. "Have fun!"

"Wait!" Elena dodged his arm, taking a couple of steps back inside. She walked up to Miranda, who was still holding Addie tightly. She kissed Addie's forehead softly and gingerly stroked the top of her messy waves. "Have fun, sweetheart. I love you. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Love you too," Addie replied, her eyes already starting to look a little sleepy. She probably wouldn't even make it through one viewing of Frozen at this rate.

* * *

His nerves weren't nearly as on edge as they had been last weekend, thankfully. Luka Martin was a rookie hotshot, a worthy opponent for most UFC fighters, but of no real threat to Damon. Luka was younger than him and that made him faster than Damon, but he lacked strategy. He lacked the patience that it took to go multiple rounds, preferring to throw everything he had out the beginning and tiring out easily.

Damon had been doing this awhile now. He was more methodical and calculated. Obviously if he saw a chance for knockout early on, he was absolutely going to take it. Otherwise, slow and steady was what was going to win him this race.

He sat on a bench in the locker room, hands already wrapped, elbows resting on his knees, eyes transfixed on the grey tile flooring below him. Just because his nerves were lessened didn't mean he had this in the bag. He'd have to fall back on his training when it came to dodging kicks and punches. Luka's game was speed and Damon needed to react quicker than Luka would expect. He silently thanked Alaric for all of the torturous gym time over the past week.

Honestly, the gym was where he'd spent the majority of his week. Other than that, Rose had set up a couple magazine interviews for him and out of obligation to her, he begrudgingly put on a happy face and answered a bunch of asinine questions. Stefan had been by his side during the interviews, waiting with bated breath for him to say something out of line so that he could interject and do some damage control. Damon didn't give him the satisfaction.

Now was normally the time when Alaric would be trying to give him some last minute advice, but Damon had actually requested a little bit of alone time instead before tonight's fight. He knew once he left the quiet solace of this locker room, there would be cameras and people surrounding him for the rest of the night. He was trying to cherish this as much as he possibly could.

Besides the usual pressure of winning his fight, he had the added pressure that he needed to impress a girl tonight too. At least, he hoped so. He wasn't sure if Elena was able to make it, but if she was in that crowd tonight, he needed to win to save himself from the embarrassment of having possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen watch him lose to a rookie.

He stood to his feet and shook out his arms and legs, warming up his muscles as best he could. He took a couple practice jabs, and followed it with a couple small jumps to really get his blood flowing. Just as he was about to stretch out his arms above his head, the door to the locker room swung open abruptly.

Damon let out a frustrated sigh. "And there goes my fucking solace."

"Why isn't Alaric in here with you?" Giuseppe Salvatore angrily asked him. "He should be helping you warm up!"

"I wanted a couple minutes of silence," Damon answered, squaring his shoulders towards his red-faced father. "Trying to go into this with a clear head."

"This isn't yoga, Damon. Clear your head some other time," Giuseppe lectured on. "I've got a lot of money invested here. You need to beat this kid."

"And I will," Damon confidently answered, not letting his father's antagonism waver him at all.

"Well let's hope so. It's time now. Everyone is outside waiting on you." His father made his way through the door and held it open for Damon, looking back impatiently to make sure he was right behind him.

Damon gritted his teeth as he followed him out of the locker room. He'd been able to talk Giuseppe into staying home for the fight against Kol, mostly by getting Stefan to agree that it would be less stress for everyone. But after his comment at the press conference last weekend, he was on a short leash with his father. There was no way he wasn't going to be there to make sure things went smoothly this time around.

The minute Damon stepped into the hallway from the locker room, he was met with noise from several people. Alaric wrapped him in his Italian flag as always, gave him a couple hard pats between his shoulder blades, and mumbled something about staying low. It was last minute advice that Damon probably needed, but he couldn't really hear him over the other voices that were calling for his attention. Rose and Stefan flanked him on both sides as he began the long walk to the main arena, both trying to give him some last minute encouragement as well. They were well-meaning of course, but Damon kept his eyes in front of him as he strode down the hallway. He couldn't afford the distraction right now.

He could hear the crowd before he saw the lights that surrounded the Octagon. Weaving his way through the crowd, Damon took a moment to try to spot Elena in it. It was near impossible, seeing as this place was so huge and there were hundreds of bright lights beaming down on him. Still, he thought that maybe seeing that she came might give him the extra push he needed tonight. His efforts were to no avail. If Elena was in the crowd, there was no way he could see her.

Now with his mouthguard in place, his shirt and flag carefully removed and handed to Ric, and his muscles fully warmed up, he stepped into the Octagon. Luka was already there and waiting for him, a look on his face that said he intended to pummel right through Damon. If he didn't already have a mouthguard in, Damon would have quipped something witty to him to let him know just how unlikely that was to happen.

The familiar bell dinged and as predicted, Luka didn't waste any time as he lunged for Damon with every ounce of power he had. Damon was quicker, dodging Luka's fist by leaning down and to the right. He came back up with a jab to Luka's ribs, which stunned him for only a moment before he bounced back. They went into a clinch, each trying to get a good grip to take the other one down.

Luka got hold of Damon's right leg and tried to take him down into a leg lock. If he was really trying to pull a complicated submission move this early on, the kid had a lot left to learn. Damon utilized the plethora of energy he still had and his years of experience to quickly maneuver his way out of Luka's grip then went in for a takedown.

Both still with a lot of fight left in them, they trades punches and kicks on the ground for some time. Whenever Damon thought Luka was getting tired and tried to put him into a hold, Luka got a burst of energy and muscled his way out of it. Whenever Luka thought he was getting the better of Damon, Damon swiftly outsmarted his move. Much of the first round went like this and just as Damon could feel himself start to gas out, the bell dinged that the round had mercifully ended. One thing was for certain. This wasn't going to be the kind of fight that ended in a knockout.

Damon retreated back to his corner, sweat heavy on his brow. He spit out his mouthguard and it was only then that he noticed a little blood coming from his lip. Alaric gave him some water as he sat down to take a very brief rest.

"He's not protecting his face!" Giuseppe's commanding voice boomed from behind him. "Tell him he needs to protect his face!"

"Mr. Salvatore," Rose eloquently spoke "with all due respect, shut up."

The exchange forced Damon to crack a brief smile. He could add telling his father to shut up to the list of many reasons why Rose was a fucking badass. The minute long break was over all too quickly and Damon was jumping back into the Octagon, ready to get Luka into a mount as quickly as possible so he could land some punches.

His plan didn't go as anticipated and before he could tell what was happening, Luka had taken him down into a choke. This position was very familiar to Damon. It was the turning point for him in Vegas, the moment he knew he was about to lose his title to Klaus. The oxygen he'd lost during the choke Klaus had him in slowed him down significantly and a shattered tibia, fractured eye socket, and concussion later, he woke up in a hospital bed no longer a champion.

Unlucky for his current opponent, it was a move Alaric had insisted they practice almost daily now. With expert grace, Damon tucked his chin, pried Luka's fingers off of his neck one by one, and hyperextended the poor guy's wrist backwards. He used this grip to take the upper hand in the fight, straddling Luka and hitting him with several blows to the face.

Normally Damon tried to tune out the noises coming from the crowd during the actual fight, but he briefly heard the sweetest little voice yelling his name. Well, other people might have considered it sweet if she wasn't yelling obscenities at the top of her lungs.

"Fuck him up, Damon!" the voice yelled. "You got this!"

He knew that voice. He'd dreamt about that voice every night this week after he came home from the gym and collapsed his exhausted muscles into bed. Elena was here and she was about to watch him win this fight. With a deep breath, Damon went in for a finishing hold on Luka. He positioned them with brute strength so that he could put him in an arm bar, but Luka managed to slip out and onto his feet during the struggle.

The kid was light on his feet, he'd give him that. His cat-like reflexes were proving to be a problem and Damon knew he'd have to do better than an arm bar to win this thing. Luka lunged for Damon, throwing an uppercut that hit him underneath the chin and knocked his head backwards. His jaw clicked a little from the force and he lost his balance. Seeing a moment of weakness, Luka swept Damon off his feet and onto the floor.

Once the stun of the hit wore off and Damon realized what was happening, he lifted his arms to protect his face from an onslaught of jabs that were coming his way. Luka tried to get his right arm into a joint lock to convince Damon to tap out. With the way his arm was being contorted and the shooting pain that went through his shoulder, Damon would be lying if he said he didn't momentarily think about it. His bravado wouldn't let him though. He wasn't about let a rookie fighter make him tap out. He had too much riding on this.

Before he could get out of the hold, the bell rang for the end of the second round and the ref was pulling them apart. Damon tried to shake out his right arm, his dominant arm, to get some of the blood flowing back into it as he took a seat for some water. He didn't hear his father screaming this time and he smirked at the thought that Rose had probably threatened him not to say anything. It was pretty well known that no one threatened Giuseppe Salvatore, but Rose was the type of person that didn't care about that kind of thing.

Damon let his eyes flit over to where he thought he might have heard Elena's voice coming from earlier and he spotted her in the front of the crowd with her little brother and some other kid who looked to be about the same age as him. She was beaming, a beer firmly planted in her right hand as she gazed right back at him. She gave him a small smile and a wave with the hand that wasn't holding a beer.

Trying to remain as hard and stoic as he could, Damon slyly winked at her. He really wanted to stand up and wave back to her, but he couldn't afford to show any weakness in front of Luka. This was as much a mental fight as it was physical. That's how Klaus had beaten him in Vegas, by getting inside of his head.

Alaric put Damon's mouthguard back in and he climbed back into the Octagon, this time not intending to stay in there any longer than he had to. This was too close of a fight. He couldn't let it keep going.

Before Luka could land his first leg kick, Damon ducked and snagged his supporting leg into his hands. He gave it a quick pull and Luka came crashing down to the ground. Scrambling quickly, Damon seized the opportunity to put him into an Achilles' Lock, a submission move that was an old faithful. He knew if he could get an opponent into the hold, they'd tap out in seconds from the searing pain or else risk a broken leg. It wasn't the cleanest way to win a fight, but it was pretty much a sure bet. Luka struggled for a few seconds to break out of the hold, but quickly realized that the pain was much worse each time he tried to move. He weakly placed his hand onto the mat and tapped it three times, signifying that he was giving up.

The referee rushed in and began to pry Damon off of Luka. Damon stood to his feet, breathing labored, as the ref grabbed his hand and raised it to make his victory official. The crowd erupted in cheers. One of the positives of making a comeback was that the majority of UFC fans were pulling for him based solely on principle. After all, people love a good redemption story.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is the (even longer) second part of a 2 part update! If you didn't read part 1, go back and do it. We get to meet some more characters in it!**

 **If you've already read that chapter, I suspect that you're waiting to find out what happens next so please read on!**

* * *

"So I take it you didn't hate it?" Jeremy said as he watched Elena down the last couple drops of her beer from the plastic cup in her hands.

Elena had a smile on her face as she looked at Jeremy and his friend while walking down the hallway towards the bathrooms. "That was kind of exhilarating, don't you think? I mean obviously brutal as hell, but entertaining to watch the technique that goes into it."

Jeremy gave her the response of a chuckle and nod. His friend did not give any discernable reaction at all.

Jeremy's friend from college that he'd brought along with him had said maybe two words since they'd met her at the arena. He'd taken one look at her, turned beet red, and then clammed up for the majority of the evening. Damn the tight red shirt and the cleavage it showcased. Now even eighteen year-old boys were checking her out. She'd be sure to complain to Caroline about it later.

"So now what?" she excitedly asked them. "We're VIPs. We can pretty much go where ever."

"Can we, uh, can we meet Damon Salvatore?" Jeremy's quiet friend mumbled out. She couldn't quite remember his name.

There was not much that Elena wanted more than that right now. She wanted to congratulate him on his win and though he'd casually tossed out the idea of hanging out with her afterwards, she could only imagine how exhausted he probably was. "Oh, I don't know about that. At least not right now. I'm sure he's fairly busy right after a fight. There's a couple more fights tonight. We could watch them from the VIP lounge? Free food!"

"Yeah, let's do that," Jeremy agreed. "Meet you there after the bathroom?"

Elena nodded her head and then pushed the door of the women's bathroom open. She went about her business and as she was watching her hands, she looked in the mirror for the first time since she had left the house. She tried to adjust the neckline of her shirt to cover as much as she could but it was a fruitless effort. She fished her cellphone from her small purse and called her parent's house to check on Addie, but was met with no answer. Then she tried Grayson's cell phone. Then she tried Miranda's cell phone. Finally, she called their house line one more line and Miranda answered in a hushed tone.

"Hi, sweetheart. I hope you're having as much fun as we are," Miranda's voice came through the phone.

Elena heard a little bit of shuffling on the other end of the line. "She's doing okay?"

"She actually just fell asleep on the couch with your father during round 2 of Frozen," Miranda whispered, presumably so as not to wake them. "I have to say, not a bad movie."

"Try watching it 100 times and then tell me that," Elena said with a roll of her eyes. "You'll be singing Let It Go in your sleep."

"How are things there?" Miranda asked. "Did Caroline do well? Is Jeremy behaving?"

"Besides trying to sneak a couple sips of my beer, Jer hasn't been much trouble at all." Elena chuckled and was miraculously met with a small laugh from her stepmother as well. "I think Caroline was just pleased that this fight went more than one round. More time for her on camera, you know?"

"That sounds about right for both of them," Miranda replied softly.

"We're about to go watch the last couple of fights for the night. I may pick Addie up before I come home if that's okay." They had originally agreed to let Addie stay there until the morning, but Elena was trying to change up plans now. She missed her daughter, despite the good time she'd had tonight.

Miranda was not giving into that. "Oh, nonsense. She's already asleep. Have fun, Elena. You deserve a night off every once in a while. You do so much for other people. Take some time for yourself."

Elena knew she was right. She tried really hard to make sure that no part of her life was neglected. She was a phenomenal mechanic, her business was booming, she had a lot of friends who cared about her, and her daughter was a well-adjusted three year old who loved princesses and chocolate. The only thing that really had taken a dive during all of this was her self-care. There was a reason it had been a year since she'd been on a date. Elena never made that kind of time for herself and when she did, she spent the whole time worrying about everything else.

"You'll call me if she has a bad dream?" Elena questioned, seeking some kind of guarantee that she'd know if Addie was anything other than okay.

"Promise," Miranda assured.

She gave in. Addie was in good hands, the best really. "Thanks, Mom. I'll see you all in the morning. I love you."

"Love you too," Miranda replied before hanging up the phone.

Elena took a deep breath, trying to let her mind start to drift to the here and now. When she was watching Damon's fight, it almost felt like she was a different person. She was a little more carefree than usual, throwing some of her cautions to the wind as she cheered him on. And when he winked at her with his ice blue eyes, she felt the heat pass from her chest down between her legs. Trusting that Jeremy and his friend had made it safely to the VIP lounge, she typed a quick text to let them know that she was going backstage to find Caroline and would meet up with them soon. If she happened to bump into Damon while she was back there, even better.

She glanced back into the mirror one more time and fixed a little of her smudged eyeliner with her index finger. That was another thing Caroline had talked her into. At the garage, Elena didn't wear any makeup at all. Try fixing a transmission with mascara running down your face. No way. Any other time, she wore the most minimal amount acceptable. Usually just a couple swipes of mascara and a little bit if eyebrow pencil. Caroline had whipped out the eyeliner and lip stain while they were getting ready earlier. Mercifully, Elena had talked her out of foundation and bronzer.

The hallway outside of the bathrooms was pretty quiet and empty as Elena strolled down it. She could hear cheers coming from the main arena and only assumed the next fight must have started, which was fortunate for her. There would probably be less people scrambling around backstage. A large man in a black security tshirt was standing in front of the doors that led to the locker rooms and press areas backstage. She approached him and he peered down at her, blocking the doors.

"If you're not an approved press member, part of a team for one of the fighters, or have an all-access pass, I can't let you in sweetheart," he sternly but politely said to her with his hands crossed in front of his body.

Just as she had to do last weekend when she went backstage to find Caroline, Elena lifted the badge that hung around her neck and showed it to him. She smiled sweetly, hoping that this would suffice. She had no idea what kind of pass Damon had given her or if it granted her backstage access like the one Caroline had snagged for her last time.

The man took the badge into his hand and examined it. "What's your name?"

"Elena Gilbert," she replied, confused. She didn't have to give her name last time.

"Down the hall, fourth door on your right." The man stepped aside and held the door open for her.

She took a couple hesitant steps into the hallway before hearing the door close behind her. It was mostly empty as she predicted, save for a few journalists and camera operators having hushed meetings before a press conference. From the couple of times she'd been back here last weekend, she knew that the locker room for the ring girls was around the corner and on the left. That clearly was not where the security guy had directed her so it must have had something to do with Damon.

The rubber soles of her shoes squeaked across the floor as she walked and the noise echoed down the hall. Once she reached the fourth door on the right, she could hear a lot of commotion coming from the room and she wondered for a minute if she should turn back and ask the security guy if he'd meant to send her somewhere else. Before she could make a decision, the door snapped open and a man who looked to be in his late fifties stormed out.

The man turned and pointed a finger back inside the room. "You got cocky, Damon. That's how some twenty year old kid almost beat you with a fucking arm lock!"

Not taking notice that she was standing there, the man spun on his heel and brushed past he. Once he was safely out of sight, Elena poked her head ever so slightly into the open doorway. Still in his black shorts, but with a tshirt on now as well, Damon was seated on a green couch surrounded by three other people. A petite red-haired woman placed a reassuring hand onto his back.

"Your father's an ass. You fought great," she consoled him with a slight British accent.

"You did kind of let your over-confidence get in the way during the second round," a sandy blonde haired man sadly admitted as he sat in a chair across from Damon.

"Don't you think I fucking know that, Stefan?" Damon snapped. "Lay off. I pulled the win, alright? See, this is why I didn't want him here. Ric knows what the fuck I mean. He's bad energy all around."

"Well like it or not, dad is bankrolling this whole thing. You've got to play by his rules, Damon. At least for now," Stefan replied, wringing his hands together nervously.

Not wishing to intrude on what looked to be a private conversation any longer, Elena cleared her throat to make her presence known. All heads looked in her direction and under the gaze of four stares, she wondered if maybe she should have just come back later instead.

"Elena! You made it!" Damon said, standing up from the couch and making his way over to her. "How long you been standing there?"

"Oh, just a second or so," Elena lied, not wanting to put him in an awkward position. They barely knew each other. She didn't want him to feel like he needed to share his baggage with her. More than anything, she didn't want to have to share her baggage with him in return. Liam wasn't exactly a sexy conversation topic. "Congrats on the win, by the way. I know literally zero about UFC, but it looked like you did awesome."

"Thank you. I'm happy you're here. Where's your brother? The little Gilbert?" he asked, his eyes wandering down to her chest. For the first time all night, Elena was thanking Caroline for the shirt choice.

"In the VIP lounge probably gorging on free food with his friend," Elena laughed.

One of the guys standing behind Damon cleared his throat and Damon ushered her inside the small room. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Come in and meet my team."

The sandy blonde haired guy stood up and extended his hand to Elena. "I'm Stefan Salvatore, Damon's manager," he introduced himself as he shook her hand.

"He's also my kid brother," Damon added. "And it's his job to make sure I don't fuck up and do something that will get me into trouble." He pointed to the British redhead lounging on the green couch. "That's Rose. She cleans things up when I inevitably do fuck up."

"Pleased to meet you, Elena, though I am a little shocked that this is the first I'm hearing about you," Rose said bluntly before turning her attention to Damon. "You should probably tell your publicist if you're dating someone, you know."

"Oh, we're just friends," Elena interjected.

"Right," Rose laughed. "Sure you are."

"Don't pay Rose much mind. She's off her meds," Damon quipped. "We keep trying to return her to the mental institution, but they won't take her back."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him and mumbled a couple curse words under her breath as Elena let out a giggle at Damon's attempt at a joke.

Damon spun around to the other person in the room, beaming a smile at him. "And this is Ric. He helps me kick ass out there and also babysits me at the bar. He thinks that I think we're just shooting the shit and drinking, but I know he's there to monitor my alcohol intake."

"I prefer Alaric, actually. Damon calls me Ric because he knows I hate it," Alaric said as he extended his hand towards Elena's. "Unlike Rose, I have actually heard a lot about you this past week. Couldn't shut him up about the mechanic beauty who was, and I quote directly, as talented with a wrench as she was certifiably bangable."

Damon blushed a little after Alaric's dig and Elena could clearly tell that they had a good working relationship, as well as a strong friendship. "Nice to meet all of you," she said, looking around the room at them. She was unsure what to do next. "I'm sure you have a lot to do, so I won't stay in the way any longer. I just wanted to congratulate Damon on his win," she added, trying to excuse herself. She felt like she had intruded.

"You don't want to go grab a drink or something?" Damon asked her, hope evident in his eyes that she'd say yes.

Elena made a big fuss of thinking the proposition over, but she was literally so attracted to this man that she probably would have locked herself in a broom closet with him if he'd asked her to. A year was a long time to be celibate and Damon had awoken something within that she needed to get out of her system quickly. A boastful UFC fighter wasn't exactly what you'd call stepfather material. They came from completely different worlds. She knew this wasn't something that was going to last more than maybe a couple of dates, but she was okay with that.

"A drink sounds nice," she said with a nod.

Looking a little taken aback that she agreed, Damon broke into a smile. "Cool. I just have to grab a shower then we can go. Do you want to hang here?"

"I think I'll go find Jeremy to let him know I'm leaving then meet you when you're ready?" She didn't really feel like awkwardly sitting there with everyone while Damon did what he needed to do.

"Sure, sure. Meet you in the back parking lot in half an hour? You good to ride with me?" he asked her.

Elena nodded in response. She was actually looking forward to riding in his car. His Camaro had been expertly restored, all original interior parts. She didn't get a good look at what was under the hood when she'd worked on it last weekend, but the whirring of the engine as she pulled it in and out of the garage had been music to her ears. The car was a beauty. No wonder he'd been so protective over it.

She calmly followed Damon out of the room, nodding goodbye to everyone else. As soon as he ducked his way into his locker room, she quickly picked up her steps to get to the ring girl's locker room. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she called Caroline and hoped that she answered.

"Hey," Caroline greeted.

"Are you backstage? Where are you?" Elena excitedly asked her in between breaths.

"I just stepped out of the locker room. Why?" Caroline answered.

Elena ended the call as she rounded the corner to where she knew Caroline would be. She was walking so fast that she literally collided with her taller blonde friend.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked concerned as she stumbled back a little. "Something wrong with Addie?"

"Can I just be a stereotypical girl for like two minutes really quick?" Elena asked, words coming out of her mouth a mile a minute.

Her friend nodded enthusiastically, happy that Elena was finally ready for some girl talk with her. It was about time.

"I am about to ride in a fully restored like new condition 1969 Chevy Camaro!" Elena squealed, jumping up and down.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you are not this excited about a car. Please tell me that you're freaking out because a hot ass UFC champ is probably about to get naked and mount you."

Elena blushed at the mere mention of having sex with Damon, not because she didn't want to, but because she really did. But it had been awhile and it wasn't like riding a bike. She was pretty rusty. And besides, she really was kind of excited about the car.

"It's alright, Elena. Live a little," Caroline encouraged.

"Will you make sure Jeremy gets out of here okay?" she asked.

"He is an adult and will be fine. Stop worrying about everyone else for once," Caroline replied.

Elena pulled out her phone with a heavy sigh. "You're right. I'll just text him to tell him that he doesn't have to wait on me."

* * *

Twirling his car keys around his finger, Damon leaned against the driver's side door of his Camaro as he waited on Elena. It was downright cold outside now that the sun had set and he was thankful that his leather jacket was waiting on him in the backseat once he climbed inside.

He needed this drink after having to listen to his father berate him over a fight that he actually won. Sure, Luka was a tougher opponent than he'd initially thought, but the big W next to his name would have been the same whether he'd knocked him out in the first round or won by decision after all three rounds. At least he got a submission from the kid.

If Giuseppe acted this way when he won, what the fuck could he expect if he lost? With a scoff, Damon chose not to focus on any of that right now. Instead, he kept his eyes on the back entrance of the arena and waited for Elena to emerge from it.

Elena Gilbert was somewhat of an enigma. Damon knew three things very well, fighting, bourbon, and women. He could typically figure out how to charm a woman within a few minutes of meeting her, but Elena didn't seem to be the putty in his hands that he was used to. He found himself holding his breath and readying himself for a rejection each time he talked to her. He got the feeling she wasn't the type of girl that would melt over a couple of casual compliments.

The door swung open and she emerged from it, her hands immediately going up to warm her upper arms as the wind whipped around her. The gesture only seemed to pronounce the cleavage peeking out of her shirt. God, she must have worn that shirt in an effort to actually kill him because it almost did when he first saw her in it.

He rushed over to the passenger side of his car, opening the door for her. "Ready?" he greeted as she slid into the seat.

"Ready." She smiled at him before he closed the door.

Once he had the car started, he adjusted the dial so that the heat would come out to warm her up. He mentally cursed himself for not having the car already warm for her. The air coming through the vents would be chilly for the first few minutes.

"Here," he said, reaching over and grabbing his jacket from the backseat. "I'm going to want that back though," he teased.

Elena wrapped the jacket around her arms. "Thank you. So where to?"

"I'm a fan of this place downtown. Has about 100 different kinds of whiskey. How would you feel about that?" Damon asked as put the car in drive and let off the brake, easing his way out of the parking lot.

"I happen to love whiskey," she said.

"You love cars. You love whiskey. You're fucking gorgeous. How are you single exactly?" he bluntly asked her, one hand firmly planted on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shift.

She shrugged. "Not a lot of time for a boyfriend."

The conversation died down as he made a couple of turns into the city. Damon was actually kind of intimidated by her, nervously trying to rack his brain for something that he could say to impress her but coming up empty.

"So where did you get your car restored at? They did a pretty bang up job," she commented, slowly sliding her hand over the dashboard.

That dashboard had been tricky to find, with only a few original wood grains that were still in good condition floating around. He remembered calling around for weeks before he could track it down. "Me, actually. I had some time on my hands between training this past year. It was kind of my side project."

"You're kidding?" she asked, clearly fascinated. "You restored this thing?"

"Well with the help of a fuck ton of books. I pretty much had to read up on how to do everything," he confessed.

"Well I honestly don't think I could have done a better job myself," she admitted.

"I get the feeling that's saying something," he responded, taking a glance in her direction.

She didn't reply, just nodding her head in agreement.

"We're here," Damon announced as he killed the engine in the car.

"Awesome. Would it be weird to ask to look under the hood of this thing?"

Damon was beginning to get the feeling that she was more interested in the car than him. Actually a first for him. "Yeah, sure."

They both hopped out and he went around the pop the hood. Elena propped her hands on the open hood and leaned down to get a closer look. If the heat coming off of the hot engine wasn't keeping him warm, the sight alone of her chest jutting out from beneath his leather jacket surely would have done it.

"Wow, this is some good craftsmanship. How much did you have to rebuild?" she asked, dropping her hands and turning her head towards him.

"Ugh, about half the engine had to be replaced. The transmission was shot so that's completely new. Dropping that thing was kind of a bitch," he answered her, licking his lips as he stared at hers.

"Hm," she pondered. "Thanks for letting me take a peek."

Liked the trained fighter he was, Damon saw an opening and took advantage of it. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a hard, but agonizingly slow kiss. The small whimper that she let out as he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her closer would be something he'd remember for a really long time. He growled lowly and gave her a squeeze. She responded in kind by pressing her body flush against his then darting her tongue out to taste more of him. There was no doubt about it. Elena Gilbert kissed like a fucking dream.

She pulled away from him, panting and with hooded eyes. He was about to apologize to her for being so brazen. Elena wasn't like the other women he'd met and he actually wanted to take things slow with her. Maybe this could go somewhere beyond just a couple of hookups, at least that what he hoped for. So when he finally formed the words to tell her that he was sorry for pushing her into something physical so early on, she said the best sentence she possibly could have at the moment.

"We could just skip the drink and get to what happens after."

Without breaking eye contact with her, Damon reached up and snapped the hood of his car closed. "I live five minutes away."

* * *

His breath was hot on her neck as they collided against the door to his bedroom. Elena relished in the feeling as his tongue glided across the delicate skin of her throat, arching her back and rewarding him with a tiny moan of approval. If this is what she'd been missing out on for so long, she hadn't truly been living life.

During the short car ride from the bar to the his apartment, she opened her mouth three times with the intention of asking him to just take her home instead. Having sex with someone she barely knew wasn't something she usually did. In fact, this was a first for her. It'd taken almost a year of convincing before she'd given up her virginity to Liam and the couple of men after him had at least been dating her for a couple of months. Feeling entirely out of her comfort zone, she had wanted to back out. Each time she would glance over to Damon and open her mouth to say that, she'd get mesmerized at the way his arms flexed as he shifted gears and the words wouldn't seem to come out.

Now that she was in his bedroom with him, she couldn't believe she'd ever thought to deny herself of such a carnal need. His fingertips trailed their way underneath the bottom of her shirt, resting on the curve of her waist as he continued his tortuous assault of her neck with his mouth. She threw her head back, resting it on the closed door behind her to allow him better access and he reacted by lightly grazing his teeth up to her ear lobe, taking a small nibble at it.

"What's your middle name?" his voice spoke lowly into her ear.

She paused in answering him. Of all the dirty talk possibilities in the world, this one was new for her. She was expecting something about how attracted he was to her, maybe a line about how he was about to make sweet love to her or something like that. Asking her middle name was probably the most lukewarm thing that could have come out of his mouth.

Damon pulled his mouth away from her, noticing that she'd stopped responding to his touch. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"No offense, but why do you need to know that?" she asked him, looking directly into his eyes. She was right. His eyes could definitely pierce right through her if she let her guard down.

He let out a small laugh, backing away from her a couple of steps to give her some space. "I'm just trying to get to know you."

The loss of heat that he provided her was immediately missed and Elena fretted slightly that they seemed to be doing more talking and less touching tonight than she'd expected. "It's Marie," she answered, hoping that his lips would find their way back to her if she did.

"That's beautiful," he said, giving her a smile that she thought might make her melt right where she stood. "Mine is Antonio."

"How very Italian," she teased him.

He closed the space between them again, reaching up to tuck a small strand of her hair behind her ear. "My mother was born there and both of my father's parents were from there so I guess you could say I am very Italian." He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged lightly.

Elena's arms flew up around his neck and she pulled him closer to her, allowing her to feel his obvious arousal through their clothes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. That much was very clear. And yet still, he pulled away from her.

"How did you get started working on cars?" he asked, his face still close to hers.

She let out a huge sigh. Never in her life had she had to work so hard for sex. "I appreciate all the formalities, Damon. I really do, but it isn't like this is going anywhere. You don't have to try to make me feel special. I did my research. I'm well aware of your track record with women."

"I'm genuinely interested in getting to know you," Damon responded, looking a little taken aback by her brashness. "Besides, who says this isn't going anywhere?"

"Common sense says this isn't going anywhere." Elena ducked her way out of his arms and went to sit on the edge of his large bed. She stared around at the décor of the room. It was modern and chic, slate greys and whites with very minimalistic furniture. A lamp sat on one of the nightstands, the other hosting a stack of automotive books all about Camaros.

He followed her to the bed, sitting down beside of her so close that their thighs were touching. "So did you think this was just about sex?" he asked her, taking her hand in his and drawing soft circles on her palm.

The motion was relaxing to her as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I have a very complicated and busy life. I have a daughter. I'm running a business. I don't really have time to be a ringside groupie."

"Well it just so happens that I don't have any need for a ringside groupie. I like that you have your own thing going on. Someone who needs my attention all the time isn't my style." He took her hand and planted a soft kiss on the back of it. "You're intriguing. I've never met anyone like you and I'd like to take some time to figure you out."

"Okay," she conceded. Maybe he wasn't the brazen asshole she'd pegged him for after all. He'd shown her that a bit of tenderness lied underneath his cocky exterior once they were away from the UFC world. He was already proving wrong a lot of the things she'd assumed about him. She owed it to herself to play this one by ear.

"So, what's your daughter's name?" he asked her, intertwining their fingers together and resting their hands on the top of his thigh.

"Adaline, but she hates when people call her that," Elena said with a smile. Talking about her daughter always made her happy. "She goes by Addie. She's full of personality, bossy as can be."

"Like her mom," Damon added.

Elena pulled her hand from his, placing it on her chest in mock offense. "I am not bossy!"

"You called me a misogynistic asshole they first time we met and then basically bullied me into letting you work on my car," he pointed out.

"Why do I get the feeling you've never really been bullied into doing anything you didn't want to?"

He let out a chuckle. "Probably because I'm not easily intimidated, but damn you're scary when you're angry."

Elena shifted her thighs together, the wetness between them was still uncomfortable there and it served as a reminder of the way it felt to have Damon touch her. "Have we talked enough yet?" she asked him, her patience waning a bit.

"Anxious?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked at her.

"I guess you could say that I kind of expected tonight to go a little differently," she admitted to him.

Damon slowly reached up to help her shrug out of his leather jacket, exposing the cleavage that had caused her so much trouble tonight. He tossed the jacket onto a nearby chair and it landed with a soft thud. "Told you I'd want that back," he quipped.

She'd had enough of his slow torment. He intended to leisurely undress her piece by piece and she really just wanted him to hurry up and touch her where she was aching. Taking matter into her own hands, she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

His mouth went agape as he watched her kick off her sock and shoes. She stood up from the bed, unbuttoned her jeans, and shimmied them down her legs. Once she was done, she planted her hands on her hips and turned around to face him in just her black bra and underwear. "Your move, champ."

With dark eyes, Damon's hands reached for her hips, pulling her onto his lap to straddle him. She ground herself shamelessly against him, frantic for any kind of friction at this point.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," he whispered to her as his hands snaked their way up her back to unhook her bra.

That was exactly the kind of talking she was comfortable with. He could talk to her like that anytime he wanted to.

Her breasts spilled free and Damon took his mouth to them immediately, lavishing the pink tips with his tongue until they were hard and desperately sensitive. He'd blow a cool breath on them for a moment, denying them of the heat his mouth could provide before giving her the warm sensation back in droves. The teasing was driving her crazy and she thought she might come from the anticipation alone.

Frenziedly, her hands found the hem of his black tshirt and she slipped them under so she could begin to explore his body. She'd seen his hard muscles, felt them against her through the thin fabric, but to put her fingertips on them was a different story entirely. She traced each outline on his six-pack, making a promise to herself that she'd follow this same path with her tongue at a later time.

He pulled away from her just long enough to grab his shirt by the back of the collar and pull it over his head before diving his mouth back down to her breasts. She was thankful for the absence of his shirt as she let her hands slide up to his solid chest, giving it a little pressure to test the firmness. Never had she ever touched someone with a body like this.

Elena reached Damon's head and pulled at it to get him to look up at her. He complied, with swollen lips and a look in his eyes that made her feel absolutely worshipped. "Please," she begged him for some kind of release.

With a nod of understanding, he slid his hands underneath her bottom and stood up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned around. After a rough and needy kiss, she felt herself crashing down on her back onto the soft bed and before she could regain her bearings, his fingers had slipped into her the sides of her underwear to pull them down her legs. Once she was discarded of the last stitch of clothing she had left, Damon lowered his head between her thighs.

He'd been building her up for so long that by the time his tongue began making circles with that sensitive bundle of nerves, she was already on the verge of coming undone.

"So sweet," he mumbled against her skin.

Elena watched as he hungrily devoured her, pushing a couple fingers inside of her to add to the pleasurable feeling. She felt the beginnings of her orgasm building up, first with the curling of her toes. "Damon," she breathed out.

He curled his fingers upward, never ceasing the motions of his tongue, and stroked a spot inside of her that made a heat spread over her skin. It felt so good that she started to buck her hips against him, scrambling to try to hold onto this feeling for as long as she possibly could. She was close. She could feel her sweet release coming.

Damon lifted his tongue, only to replace it with the thumb of his other hand rubbing small circles. "Let go," he commanded. "Let go, Elena."

Upon his urging, she fell apart, little explosions sending her over the edge in the sweet release she'd been begging him for.

Damon stood from the bed, giving her a minute to catch her breath. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he offered.

Elena leaned forward and propped herself onto her elbows to look at him. She noticed he was still partially clothed and frowned slightly because she really wanted to see what lied beneath those jeans. She sat up the rest of the way, her head still feeling slightly dizzy from the intense orgasm he'd just given her, and hooked one of her fingers into his belt loop to tug him closer to her.

"Is that a no to the drink then?" he asked.

She merely nodded her head in reply as she pulled him towards her. She popped the button on his jeans, slide down the zipper, and watched them fall to the floor at his feet. Slowly, she traced her finger down the happy trail that began on his lower stomach and delved beneath the waistband of his black boxer briefs.

He cleared his throat, presumably trying to get some control back, and lightly wrapped his fingers around her wrist to cease her seduction. "What's the hurry, ciccino?"

If Elena hadn't just come down for the most intense orgasm a man had ever given her, she probably would have come just from hearing him utter one Italian word. "Well if you're not going to let me see what's under those," she nodded her head in the direction of his underwear "then I guess I'll take that drink."

Damon smirked, releasing her wrist from his grasp and bending down to pull his jeans back over his hips. Once secured, he leaned down for a soft kiss and somehow the lingering taste of her on his lips turned Elena on even more. "One drink, coming right up," he answered.

"Dark liquor only, please," she clarified. "Vodka is for sorority girls and gin is for bored housewives."

With a smile and nod of his head, he disappeared down the hallway. Even underneath the fabric of his jeans, she could appreciate his backside as he walked away from her. She went about grabbing her clothes from where they were scattered on the floor and dressed herself.

She grabbed her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and laughed at the many missed calls from Caroline. Deciding she should probably call back to check in, she tapped her finger on the screen.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just making sure Salvatore isn't actually an axe murderer who lured you somewhere until false pretenses," Caroline answered.

Elena laughed and rolled her eyes. She lifted her hand to the phone and her mouth, whispering quietly so he couldn't hear her conversation. "Worse. He likes me. Like as in wants to date me, I think."

"Men," Caroline scoffed, which sent Elena into a fit of laughter.

"Wasn't sure if you were more of Kentucky bourbon or a scotch girl," Damon explained as he walked back into the room with two tumblers each filled halfway with amber liquid.

"Gotta go," Elena muttered into the phone.

"Call me later!" Caroline pleaded as Elena tapped the phone to end the call.

She looked up to Damon and smiled. "Bourbon all the way," she answered.

"My kind of girl," he said, sitting on the bed beside of her and handing her one of the glasses.

The smoky smell of the liquor wafted to her nose as she rose the glass to her lips to taste it. It was damn good bourbon, minimal burn as it went down, and full of flavor. "Do I get to ask you questions now?"

"Hit me with your best shot," he said, taking a swig from his own glass.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! *wipes brow* Things got a little steamy there for a minute.**

 **Let me know what you guys thought! This & Chapter 2 are a combined 13k+ words!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Another chapter in the story that I swore wasn't going to overtake AIW, but somehow has. I still intend to finish AIW, but my muse writes what she writes so here we are.**

* * *

"Favorite food?" Elena asked him, resting the glass of bourbon between her thumb and index finger as they sat on the edge of his bed. She tilted it up to finish the last couple drops of her drink. Like a gentleman, Damon had offered to refill her glass twice now. The alcohol had already begun to warm her bloodstream, a pink tinge appearing on her cheeks.

"Carbonara, but I'm not allowed to eat pasta when I'm training so I haven't had it in years," Damon replied.

She dramatically pouted her lips and leaned her head onto his shoulder. "Being a big, tough, UFC fighter must be pretty hard work, huh?" she bantered, poking her finger into his ribs.

"Career before everything else," he answered with a sigh, though it was supposed to be a rhetorical question. "At least that's what my father says."

"You don't like your dad?" And suddenly she didn't want to mock him anymore. She'd filled the air with a lot of questions that really weren't very deep, what type of music he liked, where he liked to vacation, why he loved Camaros, but this was quickly steering away from light conversation.

"He's protecting his investment. Can't really fault him too much for that," he bit out. "Besides, I'd still be running around trying to get sponsors if he hadn't stepped in and funded my physical therapy. I owe him."

"And your mom? Does she think of you as an investment too?" Elena wasn't sure if she was digging too deep now, but she was curious to know more about what lied beneath Damon's public persona. His Wikipedia page made mention of a lot about his UFC career, but nothing about his personal life or his family.

"She's gone," was all he responded with, a sadness in his voice that she could pinpoint exactly. It's how Caroline sounded when she talked about losing her dad and how Bonnie sounded when she mentioned anything about her Grams.

Elena raised her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." He broke their eye contact by pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. "So, you've thoroughly quizzed me for a while. You finally going to tell me how you ended up working on cars?" he quickly changed the subject as he took her empty glass from her hand.

Elena followed him from the bedroom into his kitchen and she watched him pour them both refills of bourbon. "My dad. Before he met my stepmom and my brother was born, it was just the two of us for a little while. I spent a lot of time hanging out in the garage with him when I was Addie's age and I was at the age where I was curious about everything so I'd ask him questions. Then I got to be a little older and I wanted to do what he was doing so he let me change my first carburetor and the rest is history. I went straight to the garage every day after school while all of my friends were off at cheer practice."

"You never wanted to just be a normal girl?" Damon chuckled, handing Elena her drink.

She shrugged. "This is my normal."

"Is Addie's father in the picture? I mean, am I going to cause any drama with him by seeing you?" Damon questioned and it was the one subject that Elena was really hoping he wouldn't breach tonight. They were starting to get to know one another, but Liam was such a sensitive topic that she still thought it was far too early to delve into her history with him.

"No. We don't speak anymore," she curtly replied, choosing not to go into any further detail. "What about you? Any crazy ex-girlfriends I need to be worried about?" she teased, lightly jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow as they stood next to each other by the kitchen counter.

Damon winced in pain as she did so.

Elena set her drink down quickly and he hands flew to him as she lightly stroked the spot she'd jabbed. "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't even think that you'd probably be sore from your fight! I'm so sorry. Damon, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay. I've got a high pain tolerance," he tried to reassure her.

She scrambled over to his freezer, pulling the door open. "Let me get you some ice."

With a laugh, Damon stopped her in her tracks. "It's been awhile since any one has cared about me like that."

"I'm a mom. It's kind of my job to take care of everyone." She turned around with a bag of frozen peas in her hand and wrapped it in a nearby kitchen towel. "Here," she said as she pressed it to his ribcage, her hands grazing his bare skin and making her blush.

Damon took hold of the bag and held it there. Elena knew she was probably being ridiculous. He was a fighter and from what she'd read about him, he'd had far worse injuries than this. Knowing that fact didn't stop her from wanting to ease his pain in any way she could. After a few moments of silence, Damon grabbed the glass of bourbon in front of him with his free hand and took a swig of it.

"Who takes care of you then?" he asked her, his blue eyes staring deeply into hers.

It was a question that she should have been able to answer easily, but it stumped her. "Well I have my parents to help me with Addie and my friends all take turns babysitting."

"But that's who takes care of Addie. Who helps make sure you're okay?" Damon clarified.

"Caroline helps me with laundry sometimes. Bonnie will run the garage if I'm sick. My friend, Matt, he fixes things around my house when they break. I've got a pretty good group of people around me," she defended. "People take care of me."

"People help you with your responsibilities because they love you and that's all you'll allow them to do," he quickly responded.

His bluntness was borderline offensive and she was about to open her mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his ill-informed assumptions when he leaned forward and quickly pressed his lips against her own. Her eyes drifted closed and she heard him drop the icepack to the floor. He turned and pressed her back against the kitchen counter. She could feel the length of his erection pressing against her through his jeans. The taste of bourbon on his tongue invaded her mouth and she lost all thoughts of chastising him in that moment.

With a gentle nudge, she hopped up onto the counter behind her and Damon positioned himself between her legs. He finally pulled his mouth from hers, choosing instead to trail light kisses across her collarbones. She shamelessly moaned, letting the sounds of her shallow breaths fill the small space of the kitchen. It wasn't long before she was soaking between her legs, wishing that he would drive himself into her repeatedly, but afraid of seeming too forward by asking him to.

"I don't normally do this kind of thing," she said with his lips still attached to her chest.

Damon looked up at her with a smirk. "You don't say?"

"Do you?" she asked him, letting her fingers play with the strands of his hair. She deliberately tried not to let her eyes linger too long on his bare and toned chest.

"Hook up with mesmerizingly beautiful women who are also incredibly smart, sassy, and quirky?" He smiled at her. "No, not normally."

He was avoiding the question so Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "You know what I mean."

"Are you asking for a number?"

"Maybe," she shyly answered, averting her gaze to the floor. She wasn't looking for a complete sexual history, but at least a little bit of information about what she was getting herself into.

Damon tipped her face up to look at him. "I don't know the number. I can tell you I only really cared about one of them."

"Okay," Elena nodded. That would quell her curious mind for now.

He moved to kiss her again, but she dodged him.

"Don't you want to know my number?" she skeptically asked him.

"Wouldn't make a difference if it was one or one hundred."

"It is definitely not one hundred," Elena said, laughing.

Damon shrugged. "Well, it wouldn't make a difference if it was." He let his lips leave kisses from her neck until they made their way back up to her lips, latching onto her once more, drawing her into his arms.

Elena melted from the heat, scooting herself as close to the edge of the counter as she could without falling off. She tried to get any friction, any pressure, any touch between her thighs that he would allow. Damon scooped her up effortlessly, her legs going around his toned waist to secure herself as he carried her back to his bedroom.

She quietly whimpered when he set her onto the bed and broke their kiss, but then she was rewarded with the sight of him finally taking off the rest of his clothes. The view did not disappoint as his erection sprang free of his boxers. Elena licked her lips, wanting to get a taste of the glistening moisture on its tip. She leaned forward and wrapped her hand around him, edging her mouth ever closer. When her tongue darted out to taste it, Damon hissed.

"Another time, beautiful." He gently pushed her away. "I need to be able to keep my cool."

The bourbon relaxed her muscles as she laid back onto the bed. This time, she let Damon take his time undressing her. He treated her like a fragile gift that needed to be unwrapped piece by piece. He'd pause to admire each new part of skin that he would uncover, occasionally lavishing it with his tongue. She'd never been appreciated or cared for in this way before. It was new and while it was unusual to her at first, it was now very much welcomed. By the time he'd gotten around to the task of removing her underwear, she was absolutely ready for him, her skin tingling and her toes curled up tightly.

He spread her legs and kneeled onto the bed between them. When his fingers dipped inside of her, Elena gasped and her back arched off of the bed. She didn't realize just how badly she needed him to fill her until that moment. He withdrew his finger, rubbing it teasingly along her clit until she couldn't take it anymore.

"I need you now," she told him. "Don't make me wait anymore."

Damon was happy to oblige. He reached over to his nightstand for a condom and rolled it onto himself. Settling himself between her legs, he gave her one last smirk before thrusting into her. If she thought he took his time undressing her, she had no idea what to call the agonizingly slow pace he was moving now. He'd ease into her, hitting a spot deep within before pulling back out almost completely. The sounds of their breathing filled the room as he continued his long, slow strokes. He dug his fingertips into her hips, enough to possibly leave light bruises. Elena couldn't be bothered to care.

When he leaned over her to change his angle, she took the opportunity to nibble on the place where his neck met his shoulder. It elicited a low and throaty growl from him so she slid her teeth up to his neck. He was hitting her G-spot now, she was sure of it. The slow pace allowed her to feel every inch of him. It allowed her to feel everything. She bit down on him a little harder as she neared her orgasm. She was almost ready to go over the edge.

Damon picked up the pace, sensing that she needed a little more to get there. He drove into her a little more roughly, hitting that spot over and over again and taking her higher and higher each time. Elena cried out loudly. She felt the orgasm low in her belly first, before it spread all over her like wildfire, the euphoric sensation traveling as far as to the tips of her fingertips.

As she came down, Damon slowed down again, back to his long and slow strokes. It's clear that he was trying to make this last. "The sounds you make when you come, it's something I'll be thinking about for a while after this," he whispered into her ear.

They continued on like this for what seemed like over an hour. He'd bring her to the edge and then plummet her over before slowing down again to let her catch her breath. By the time he finally came, her legs were numb from the pleasure and she was mumbling incoherent sentences. He pressed a kiss to the temple on her head before climbing off of her. He disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes to clean up and get rid of the condom.

Elena sat up and used the hairtie around her wrist to pull her hair off of her neck. She was sweaty, but she couldn't even bother to feel self-conscious about it after what could possibly have been the best sex she'd ever had. She heard the bathroom door swing open and Damon walked back towards the bed.

"I, you, that was," she muttered, her head resting on the pillow and her eyes looking at the ceiling. "Wow."

Damon chuckled as he laid down beside of her, pulling the covers up and over both of them. "I enjoyed it too."

"I've never," Elena said, her chest still heaving deep breaths.

"It's not usually that good for me either," he said, surprise evident in his voice.

If she could have formed words, she'd have thanked him for understanding what her incomplete sentences were trying to say. Instead, she just smiled lazily. Damon reached to bring her close to him, presumably to cuddle. And again, if she could have said more than two words at a time, she would have told him that she wasn't really the cuddling type. She was just fine with turning their separate post-coital ways in the bed and falling into a satiated slumber.

When his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her to him, she was okay with re-evaluating her cuddling policy. She scooted up to rest her head on his chest and he draped his arm around her protectively. Before she knew it, she was falling asleep to the soft and steady thudding of his heartbeat.

* * *

Damon happily danced to 90s music in his kitchen as he scrambled some eggs in a pan. He wasn't much of a chef. Most of his mornings started with a protein shake and his evenings ended with a grilled chicken breast and some sad vegetables. He was on a diet constantly and the only reprieve from said diet was the alcohol that he refused to give up. He couldn't really make more than a couple of dishes, but even he couldn't screw up scrambled eggs.

For him, last night had been more than imagined. He hadn't connected with someone else in that way in such a long time. It had been before Vegas. Hell, it had been before his career ever really started.. And even then, with Katherine it was over before it even started. They were a high school romance doomed from the beginning. They were just kids with too many emotions and raging hormones who didn't know what to do with themselves. It's why things crashed and burned when she left for college and he started seriously amping up his training. They weren't ready for the kind of love they'd found so it died out. Damon was okay with never really experiencing that kind of thing again.

When Elena came along, all fierce independence and sensitive chocolate eyes, he couldn't believe that he'd ever let himself think he could live his life without this kind of connection. They seemed to fit together perfectly and it was terrifying but exciting at the very same time. Conversation with Elena flowed freely and he was hung on every tiny thing she had to say. She talked to him like he was a normal person, not like he was a former UFC champion or like she was after money. If she knew how much he was worth, she made no indication of it.

There was no denying the physical chemistry that had either. It took everything he had not to just plow into her without restraint and he almost lost control a couple of times just from the mewls and whimpers she made while he was inside of her. God, being inside of her was better than any fantasy he'd had about it. It was better than anything he could have imagined, but he was determined to show her that he wanted more than just something a quick one night stand. He made sure to make it all about her pleasure, only allowing himself to come after he she couldn't take anymore.

Damon plated the eggs, poured a couple glasses of orange juice, and then set everything up on the kitchen table. It was almost nine and though he hated to wake her from what looked to be a very peaceful sleep, he had to meet Alaric at the gym in two hours. The training never stopped, even the day after a fight. He tiptoed into the bedroom, but was surprised to see her awake, half dressed, and scrambling around for the rest of her clothes from the floor.

"I hope you like your eggs scrambled, because that's all I know how to make," he joked, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

"It's nine!" Elena exclaimed, frantically shimmying into her jeans.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Elena grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. "I have to go pick up Addie from my parents. She's probably wondering where I am! I don't even have my car. So stupid! What's your address? I have to call a cab."

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Elena. I can take you wherever you need to go." Damon grabbed her firmly by her shoulders, forcing her to slow down for just a second.

She blew out a breath, letting her shoulders droop a little in relaxation. "Good morning," she said, a smile spreading across her lips as she attempted to start over. "Sorry. It's been a really long time since I've woken up somewhere without Addie," she explained.

"It's okay." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You're a lot like my mom was. When she was in momma bear mode, I pity the person who would get in her way."

Elena laughed at the momma bear comparison, but it really was kind of true.

"Let me just change and grab my gym bag, okay?" he said, stepping aside to grab a pair of black Nike shorts from one of his drawers.

"Sure. If you need me, I'll be scarfing down those eggs. By the way, I'm more of a sunny side up kind of girl," she lightly teased.

"Dually noted," he responded with a smirk.

As she disappeared down the hallway, Damon fished his workout gear from his chest of drawers and changed from his jeans. He double checked that his gym bag had his water bottle, his gloves, his practice mouthguard, and enough extra tape for his hands. He'd have to make a stop for a protein shake somewhere on the way to the gym. He didn't want to cause Elena any more stress by taking his sweet time eating breakfast.

When he came out, Elena was sitting at the kitchen table picking at her eggs absentmindedly with her fork with her phone pressed up against her ear. It looked like she'd barely even taken a bite of them. He sat down across from her at the table.

"Thanks, Dad. I'll be there to come get her soon," she spoke into the phone. "I love you too. Bye."

"Were my eggs that bad?" Damon said he tied his sneakers tightly. Alaric planned to make him run a lot today. He knew he'd need to wear his best long-distance shoes.

"I didn't have time to eat them actually. Sorry for wasting them. It was so nice of you to make breakfast."

"It's okay. I guess I'll have to learn how to make them sunny side up now," he replied with a wink. Standing up, he grabbed his gym bag with one hand and extended the other to help her up. "Ready?"

She accepted his hand and he pulled her up. Once they were outside and safely inside of the Camaro, Damon started up the engine and it roared to life. He peeked over to Elena, whose eyes were transfixed on something outside the passenger window.

"Where to?" he asked her, putting the car in drive.

"My parents live around the corner from the garage. Just down Maple Street," she said, still looking out the window and seeming a little distracted.

"You got it," he said, pulling onto the street in front of his apartment building. "So was everything okay with Addie?"

"She was still in her PJs, eating pancakes, and watching cartoons when I called," Elena said, finally looking forward to the road.

Damon planted his hand firmly onto the gear shift and moved it into third gear. When he expected her to respond at the pleasant humming of the engine, she didn't. "Everything okay in general?" he asked. Even though he'd gotten her to stop panicking earlier, it didn't feel like she was alright. Something seemed off.

"I feel like a shitty mom," she huffed out. "I shouldn't have stayed out all night."

"You're raising a kid on your own. That can't be easy. You deserve a break every now and then." He tried to comfort her the best that he could, but he struggled to find the right words, having zero parenting knowledge himself.

"Damon, I don't think this is going to work between us," she started, her tone apologetic. "I mean, do you even like kids?"

Truth be told, he didn't have much experience with kids so he had no idea if he liked them or not. "I like hanging out with you and if there is a miniature version of you, I'm willing to bet I'd like her too," he reasoned as he made a right onto the road with Gilbert's Garage.

"Take a right here," Elena said, pointing to a small side road. "It'll be the third house on the left."

He turned the Camaro down the road, driving slowly so as not to miss the house. "This one?" he said as they came upon a large, white house with a front porch big enough for relaxing on a sunny day.

She nodded her head to confirm and began to hop out of the car as soon as he put the car in park. She turned around quickly, poking her head back inside of the car. "Thanks for the ride, Damon."

He wasn't stupid. He knew when he was being brushed off and she was definitely brushing him off right now, ever be it really politely, but the sentiment was still there. The _thanks for the awesome night, but you can't seriously think that this was going to work out between us_ kind of sentiment. And maybe she was right. He had no earthly idea what it would be like to commit to someone while he was still wholly committed to his career. And she had a daughter, who she seemed to put first in her life. If things did end up serious between them, he'd have to be okay with having a kid in his life, which probably meant tempering his filthy language and alcohol consumption. And if things turned sour between the two of them, it might not be just Elena that Damon was hurting.

Elena stood awkwardly outside of the car, her head still poked inside the open door, waiting for him to say something in response.

"Uh, yeah. No problem," he responded casually, masking any type of doubt or hurt that he might have been experiencing.

"Well I've got to get going," she said as she nodded her head in the direction of the house. "There's someone waiting on me."

"Sure."

As she was about to close the car door shut, Damon watched the front door of the house swing open and a little girl with curly brown hair pulled into pigtails came rushing down the front steps and running up to Elena.

"Momma! We watched Frozen five times! Grandpa is learning the words!" she said as she clung onto Elena's legs with her small arms.

"Your poor grandparents," Elena said through laughter, her face lighting up into a smile that Damon hadn't seen before. It was the most genuinely happy that he'd ever seen her and he felt a little like he was intruding on a private family moment as he watched the interaction. Elena reached down to smooth back a stray strand of her daughter's hair from her forehead. "Did you have a good sleepover?"

The girl nodded her head, still clutching onto Elena's legs. "Who is this?" she asked her mom, pointing into the car at Damon.

He could see the conflict on her eyes as she searched for a reply, one that wasn't a lie but also one that didn't involve explaining something her daughter wasn't ready to hear. She leaned down so that they were both looking into the car at Damon.

"This is Momma's friend, Damon Salvatore," she said, gesturing to Damon.

He was surprising when Addie outstretched her hand to him, not shy of saying hello at all. Apparently she inherited her mother's boldness as well. Damon lightly took her small hand and shook it a couple of times.

"Good to meet you, Addie. Your PJs are awesome. Which one is your favorite princess?" he asked her, gesturing to her pajama shirt that had a lineup of all of the Disney princesses on it.

"Elsa," Addie said, looking down to point at one of them in a blue dress with white hair. "But I like Belle too because we have the same hair."

"You sure do," Damon responded with a smile. To put it concisely, he thought Addie was downright adorable and she seemed really intelligent for a three year old. He thought that maybe he wouldn't mind having a few more conversations with her, especially since she meant so much to Elena.

"Can I show Damon my castle?" she asked, looking up at Elena for permission.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Elena replied, beginning to shake her head no. "I think Damon has plans today."

"I wouldn't mind getting to visit a castle today," Damon responded. If he was late to the gym, Alaric would surely punish him for it by way of an extra tough workout with little breaks. He looked at the two brown-haired ladies and he reconciled in his mind that it would absolutely be worth it.

"Well if you're sure," Elena said hesitantly.

"Yeah, absolutely." Damon cut the engine off in his car and stepped out. He looked up at the house in front of him and immediately remembered that this was her childhood home. Not only was he about to be late to his workout on account of the little girl in front of him, but he was about to meet Elena's parents. This was all going really fast for them just having known each other for such a short time.

"I'm going to apologize in advance for this," Elena cringed, opening the front door of the house. Addie ran in first, at lightning speed. Then Elena took a couple steps inside and Damon followed behind her.

A tall and slender man in his sixties rounded the corner and looked a little taken aback to see Damon standing there in his home. Maybe this hadn't been as good of an idea as he thought it would be.

"Grayson Gilbert," the man said, extending his hand out to Damon in a kind gesture. "Pleasure to meet you."

This was honestly the first meet the parents experience Damon had had since high school and he was kind of at a loss for how to act. He could hear his mother's voice telling him to put his best manners forward so that's what he did. Damon took Grayson's hand in a strong handshake. "Good to meet you too, sir. I'm-"

"I know who you are, Damon Salvatore. My son is a big fan," Grayson interjected. "I'm sure he appreciated the passes you gave him. Sounds like it was quite the fight last night. Congratulations."

"Well I owed Elena after she fixed my car," Damon admitted, shoving his hands awkwardly into the pockets of his Nike shorts.

A brunette woman a few years younger than Grayson rounded the corner with Addie in her arms and Damon turned his attention towards them. "Look who I found trying to sneak a cookie before noon," she said, looking down at Addie.

Elena began to make an introduction. "Mom, this is-"

"Damon Salvatore, as I live and breathe," she said, finishing Elena's sentence before she could even start it. "I'm Miranda Gilbert."

She shot an impressed look over to Elena and mouthed something to her that Damon could not quite make out. The whole interaction was a little uncomfortable for him, but her parents were at least extremely friendly and welcoming. He didn't dare try to make a comparison to Giuseppe. That was a can of worms he couldn't go into right now.

Addie wiggled a little to try to get down. "Grandma, I gotta go show Damon my castle!" Once her feet were on the ground, she ran over to Damon and grabbed onto his hand. She tried her best to tug him into the adjacent room and he let her think that she was actually pulling him with her own strength.

They came into a room filled with toys. Clearly Addie spent a good bit of time here with her grandparents. This looked like be a room for her. "See? My Uncle Matt and Uncle Tyler built it for me! Uncle Jeremy built the furniture!" she said, pointing to a huge pink doll-sized castle built out of wood.

"That's so cool!" Damon grinned at her excitement as he leaned down to get a closer look. "Who lives in it?"

"Princess Mary," Addie said, picking up a Barbie doll that was dressed in a huge ball gown. "She was about to go dance with the prince."

"Well then let's get her to the ball," Damon said, sitting down beside of Addie. He grabbed a Barbie car that laid next to them. "Should she go in this?"

"No, silly. She rides a horse," Addie giggled. She picked up a plastic horse and held the doll on it, making clopping noises as she pushed it across the floor.

Damon tried to stifle his laughter at her sound effects. He felt his phone buzz in his back pocket and he took it out to answer.

It was a text from Ric.

 _Where are you? Giuseppe is here with some potential sponsors. He's about to fly off the handle that you haven't showed yet._

With a sigh, Damon shoved the phone back into his pocket and stood up. This had been a nice break from reality, but now he had to get back to doing the only thing he'd ever been good at. He heard Elena clear her throat and turned to see her leaning against the open doorway, looking relaxed and happy. She shot him a small smile and he returned it with a smirk.

"Princess Addie, I'm afraid I have to miss out on the ball," Damon said, turning to the toddler. "I'm sorry."

"S'okay," Addie responded with a shrug. "You can come back another time."

Damon smiled at her. "Thanks for letting me hang out with you."

Lost in her own little world, Addie didn't respond to him that time as he stood up to his feet and walked towards Elena. "Thanks for letting me hang out with you too," he whispered to the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

"We could do it again, if you want. I'm free for lunch on Sunday," Elena responded.

"I'd like that very much." He grabbed his phone from his back pocket and handed it to her so she could put her number in it. "I'll call you tonight to make plans?"

"Sounds great."

As Damon said his goodbyes and made his way back to his car, he knew he was in for an earful from Giuseppe when he finally made it to the gym, but it was all well worth it for the sweet kiss Elena planted on his cheek before he walked out the front door. His cheek was still tingling. Yeah, she was something special.

* * *

Elena shut the front door after Damon started towards his car. She turned around and rested her back against it, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Last night and this morning had been a whirlwind and now she could finally catch her breath.

She loved the way Damon made her feel. When she was with him, she was more than just a mom, more than just a really talented mechanic. He saw her as something much deeper than that and he made her feel light in a way that she had never really experienced before. Add that in with the mind-blowing sex and all of that seemed like a perfect reason to just dive right into this thing head first.

If it were just Elena that she had to worry about, there would be little hesitation to do so. But above all else, Addie came first. When Liam left, Elena made a promise to herself that she would be everything Addie needed. She'd never allow her to feel unwanted or unloved. She'd dedicate every spare moment of her time to making sure her daughter had the best life possible.

Damon put a complication in that. She was already juggling so many things. To add a relationship with someone on top of that might just be too much or maybe it could prove to be just the thing that she needed. Addie had taken to him pretty much right away, which wasn't surprising because she was an outgoing little girl. What was surprising was how good Damon was with her. When Elena peeked in to check on them earlier, she thought she'd have to rescue him, but he was happily kneeling in front of Addie's castle and talking about Barbies with her.

"Seems like a nice enough young man," Miranda said, startling Elena out of her thoughts. "Is he interested in seeing you again?"

Elena did not want to have this talk right now. Even though she was a mother and in her twenties by now, chatting with her stepmom about guys wasn't something that had gotten easier. She'd have to wait until she could talk to Bonnie or Caroline to process her feelings.

"Thank you for watching Addie," Elena changed the subject, leaning away from the door.

"We loved having her as always," Miranda replied as the two of them walked in Addie's play room. She was in there with Grayson drawing a picture on her small craft table. Grayson and Miranda spoiled Addie rotten with toys and art supplies while she was there, so much so that they had to dedicate a room to Addie's things. Being their only grandchild, they happily doted on her constantly.

"Addie, let's get you home and out of your PJs." Elena held her hand out to her. "Kiss Grandpa goodbye. Grandma is going to drive us home."

She planted a sloppy kiss on Grayson's cheek before taking Elena's hand. Once she was securely fastened into the car seat that had taken up permanent residence in Miranda's backseat, Addie started to recount the details of her night to her mother.

"Then we made chocolate chip cookies and Grandpa ate like ten of them! Grandma thought he was going to get sick!" Addie said, her little feet bouncing up and down with the bumps in the road. "I could only have two because I'm little."

"Thanks for not stuffing her full of sugar," Elena whispered to Miranda, who nodded in response as she drove towards Elena's house.

"We had so much fun. Didn't we, Addie?" Miranda asked her, glancing into the rearview mirror to see her grandchild's face.

"Yep! Can we have another sleepover soon?"

Miranda looked over to Elena with a soft smile. "Well you'll have to ask your mom."

"Mom? Please?" she begged, dragging out the last word and putting her hands under her chin to emphasize it.

"Maybe soon," Elena conceded. It was so incredibly good to hear that Addie didn't miss her while she was gone, but also sad because it meant that she was starting to grow up and that meant that there would come a day where Addie didn't need her anymore.

They pulled into her driveway. Expecting to see Matt's truck still in the driveway, Elena was surprised to see that her car was alone. He must have taken Bonnie home at some point.

"Do you need some help getting inside?" Miranda offered.

Elena declined as she unbuckled Addie from her carseat and slung her pink overnight bag over her shoulder. "We're okay, mom. Thanks. I'll talk to you soon. Love you!"

"Love you both!" Miranda responded before the car door closed.

The quiet and comfort of her house was well missed. Addie skipped inside straight to her bedroom while Elena hung up her keys on the rack and kicked off her shoes. She took a deep breath. It felt like ages since she'd been here, when really it was less than 24 hours. She made her way to Addie's closet and picked out an outfit for her.

"Let's get you changed," she said, interrupting Addie from playing with a couple dolls. "You can't wear your PJs all day."

"But I'm comfy," Addie whined in protest, crossing her arms and jutting out her bottom lip.

Rather than losing her temper, Elena tried to talk Addie into it. She knew her daughter and it much easier to get her to agree to do something than it was to force her to do it. "C'mon sweetheart. This shirt has sparkles on it?"

"Okay."

With her daughter taken care of and happily playing in her room again, Elena slipped into the shower. She felt like bourbon had been seeping from her pores all morning and though no one had mentioned it, she was self-conscious about it. Plus she could finally get out of the damned red shirt that she'd been wearing for far too long. The hot water streamed down her skin and she immediately felt a little more normal.

The curtain suddenly snapped open and Elena's hand flew to her chest in fright of who could possibly be intruding on her shower. She started to reach for the bottle of shampoo next to her to hit the intruder over the head, but she paused with her arm drawn back when she recognized it was Caroline.

"I used my key," Caroline shrugged, leaning back against the sink. "I hope you don't mind."

Elena narrowed her eyes and pulled the curtain closed swiftly. "That key is for emergencies only," she scolded her friend. "I thought you were a robber or a serial killer or something. I could have hurt you!"

"With a bottle of Pantene?" Caroline chuckled.

Elena laughed. It was kind of a silly thing to defend herself with, but it was the closest thing that she could reach at the time. "I'm stronger than I look."

"So," Caroline said, pausing for emphasis. "Do I get to hear about the rest of your night?"

"No way."

"C'mon." Caroline poked her head inside of the shower. "Spill. You know you want to."

Elena blushed at the dirty thoughts that began to blossom in her head. Damon's head between her legs, the brief taste she had of the tip of his dick, the sensual way that he'd made her orgasm multiple times.

"I knew it! You had sex!" Caroline hollered loudly.

"Shhhhh. Addie is in her room! She has super hearing," Elena replied in a hushed tone. "Yes. We had sex," she quietly admitted.

"Well, was it good?"

"Good does not even begin to describe it, Caroline. The man quite literally fucked me speechless. I couldn't form sentences by the end of it." Elena bit her lip just thinking about it. "But that's not the best part."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "How does it get better than that?"

"We talked all night basically, about cars, food, our families, everything. I think I might actually like him as a person, like aside from the sex."

"I am actually really jealous of you right now." Caroline hadn't had a serious relationship since she caught Tyler cheating on her two years ago. They'd managed to stay friends, even throwing a couple drunken hookups in there over the years, but it was a struggle to find someone who appreciated Caroline's gusto as much as her friends did.

"He even likes Addie. Care, I think I might be in trouble."

Caroline shook her head. "You deserve this, Elena. Stop trying to talk yourself out of something that could be good for you."

At this point, the water in the shower started to turn cold and it occurred to Elena how awkward it was that she was nonchalantly standing naked in front of Caroline having this conversation. She chose to quickly change the subject. "Can I finish my shower now, bossy pants? Addie will be glad you're here. See what she wants for lunch while I get dressed, will you?"

"I see what you're doing, Elena Gilbert. This conversation is not over," Caroline said as she pointed her finger. "But your decision to use your adorably cute daughter to distract me is working. For now."

The shower curtain slid closed again and Elena tried to get the shampoo out of her hair with the little bit of hot water that was left. No, the conversation was definitely not over because Caroline was sure to freak out in excitement the minute she asked her to babysit while she went out to lunch with Damon tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhhh. Could Damon be anymore perfect? (Yes is the answer. He is not without his issues. While things are light and happy right now, keep in mind that we still have a lot of ground to cover. But for now, let's just enjoy watching them fall in loooooove!)**

 **Let me know how much you liked it... or didn't like it.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh my god! We're back again! - Showing my age by including Backstreet Boys lyrics in my Author's Note. Sorry not sorry about it.**

* * *

"It's about damn time," Giuseppe gritted out between his teeth as Damon strolled into the gym, about 20 minutes later than he was supposed to be there. "You're keeping some very important people waiting."

Damon scoffed quietly under his breath. Training in the gym with Alaric was supposed to be a time when he didn't have to worry about impressing anyone. He had a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations to live up during his fights and the gym offered a nice break from all of that. It was his sanctuary, a place where he could try something new and fail at it a couple of times. He didn't need some unannounced company dropping in to try and evaluate his worth. His record spoke for itself. He had four losses in his entire career, three during his first season and then Vegas. If they didn't want to sponsor him based on that, then nothing he could do today would change their minds.

Damon received a curious look from Alaric as he set his gym bag down. He took a swig from his water bottle and loosened his neck by moving it side to side. It wasn't like him to be late for training. When it came to fighting, Damon usually let everything else fall to the wayside. He had clear priorities and no matter what Giuseppe might have thought, he wasn't fucking around about getting his title back from Klaus. Normally, he'd beat Alaric to the gym so he could be warmed up and ready to spar by the time he strolled in so it was understandable that Alaric was confused.

"You're best when you're going hand to hand. Maybe demonstrate a few takedowns?" Giuseppe whispered to Damon before motioning over to a couple of men in suits, all of them chatting amongst each other. That must have been who he was supposed to impress.

Alaric stepped in before Damon could say anything. "He's got to get warmed up before we do any kind of sparring, Mr. Salvatore."

"Well he was late and we've been waiting on him. He'll be fine to spar a little as is." Giuseppe wasn't having any excuses right now. "Can we get on with it then?" he asked abruptly.

After Vegas, the doctors managed to repair Damon's shattered tibia with a bunch of mental screws and pins. He was under strict orders to abstain from ever fighting again. Against the doctor's orders, Damon started training again the minute he finished physical therapy. While he could mostly take the strain on his leg, it was considerably worse if he didn't warm up beforehand. Alaric was understandably nervous, shooting a warning glance to Damon.

Ignoring the advice of his trainer, Damon started to tape up his hands. "If it'll get them out of here quicker, let's show them a couple moves." He was ready to just get back to the refuge of this gym without the presence of these intruders. "I'll go easy on you, Ric," he added with a smirk before stepping into the ring in the center of the gym.

With a shake of his head, Alaric followed after him. "Just for the record Damon, I think this is a shitty idea."

By this time, Giuseppe had joined the rest of the men off to the side of the ring. Damon glanced over to see that they had stopped their chatting and were now all focusing their attentions on him.

"Just shut up and come at me," Damon said, raising his fist to protect his face. He bounced back and forth on his feet a little, trying to get the blood flowing to his extremities.

Alaric charged at Damon, trying to get him down to the mat by wrapping an arm around his stomach. In response, Damon snaked his arm between Alaric's legs, picked him up, and slammed him into the mat beneath them. If it weren't for the padding of the mat, he could have done some serious damage. Lucky for Alaric, this was practice and they weren't trying to do damage.

The men beside the ring erupted into chatter again, no doubt discussing what they liked about the move.

Damon and Alaric reset their positions and this time, Alaric came at Damon with a couple high kicks. Damon dodged them, catching Alaric's foot on the last one and then sweeping out his standing leg. Alaric landed on the mat with a loud thud.

"Okay, that one actually hurt," he mumbled to Damon, who had his hand extended to help him up from the ground. He took the helping hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"Sorry," Damon sincerely apologized.

Giuseppe walked up and slammed his hand onto the mat a couple of times to get their attention.

"What now?" Damon leaned down to speak to his father.

"He's letting you take him down. Tell Alaric he needs to make it harder for you. It's not exactly impressive if you're just body slamming a dead fish."

Damon turned to speak over his shoulder to Alaric. "You need to-"

"I heard him," Alaric said. "I'm not doing that. You're susceptible to injury right now."

It was true. With cold muscles, he was more likely to snap or pull something. His shin was a huge bull's-eye, the screws making his leg feel achy and stiff right now. Alaric was merely looking out for his best interest.

Even still, Damon was determined to get these guys out of there and the easiest way to do that was to play nice and give them what they wanted. Besides, the more sponsors he could rack up, the less indebted he'd be to Giuseppe. Damon didn't like owing anyone anything. "Try to put a little strain on me. That's all."

They reset and when Alaric came at Damon this time, he let him take him down. Alaric mounted him and if this had been a real fight, it would have been a good time to get some punches in. Damon tried to sit up, but Alaric held him down with an arm bar. That forced him to use his legs, raising them and wrapping them around Alaric's waist. He leveraged himself so that he could sit up and bring Alaric down to the ground.

Something didn't go as planned and Alaric landed the majority of his weight right onto Damon's lower leg, pushing one of the screws deeper into his bone. It was an instant sharp pain, the kind that made his heart race and his eyes water. He did his best not to show any signs of discomfort on his face, breathing loud and shallow while he struggled to move Alaric's weight off of his leg. The pain was so intense that he couldn't concentrate and as requested, Alaric wasn't making it easy on him this time. Finally when he couldn't take it anymore, Damon dejectedly tapped out. He never tapped out during sparring.

Sensing something was wrong, Alaric hopped off of Damon was quickly as he could. "Why did you tap out? What happened?"

"My leg," Damon groaned quietly, his hands migrating to the spot where the screw dug into his bone. He smoothed his hands over the skin. Luckily, the pain had eased a little when Alaric jumped off of him and he was able to stand up. He tried putting a little weight on it, but he winced as soon as he did so.

"He's not ready," one the men said to Giuseppe. "Call me when he's fully recovered."

The rest of the men muttered pretty much the same thing before excusing themselves from the gym.

"I'm going to grab some ice. Stay here?" Alaric said to Damon, unaffected by the fact that they'd just lost out on what could have potentially been five new sponsors.

Damon chuckled at him, hopping along on his good leg. "Where would I go?" Once Alaric was safely out of earshot, he turned to his father. He was ready for whatever it was he had to say to him. "Let the berating begin," he sarcastically said under his breath.

"What the hell happened there? You can't take a little bit of pressure anymore?" Giuseppe was now standing in the ring, red faced and yelling.

He rolled his eyes. "How about we skip the part where you yell and I say something cynical in response to piss you off further? Then we can just get to the part where you storm out?"

"How about I pull my money from this whole thing?" his father threatened. It was an empty threat and they both knew it. Even though Giuseppe had sunk a lot of money into Damon's comeback, he'd already profited enough off of the last two fights to almost make it all back.

"You and I both know that after my next fight, I'll be making money for you. Pure profit. There's no way you'd pull the plug now." He towered over his father by a good half a foot and he always tried to use his size to intimidate. He looked at Giuseppe, waiting on him to say something but he remained silent. "Yeah. Thought so."

"Don't be late again," Giuseppe scolded. "Take this as seriously as I am." With that, he turned on his heel and stomped loudly out of the gym.

Damon let out a breath when he heard the door slam closed. Now that Giuseppe was gone, he could finally show just how much pain he was in. "Fuck," he cursed. "Damn it. Holy fucking shit."

"You kiss Elena with that mouth?" Alaric teased, stepping into the ring with an icepack for Damon's knee.

Snatching the ice pack from Alaric's grip, Damon hobbled over to a bench in the corner of the ring and sat down. He pressed the cool gel pack to his shin. "Very funny."

"Seriously though, are you okay?"

He nodded his head. "I will be. My leg was just too stiff to take the pressure."

"Well serves you right for letting him pressure you into skipping your warm-up. We'll stick to arm stuff today, give your leg a chance to stop throbbing." Alaric handed Damon his water bottle.

"Thanks."

"So you plan to tell me about last night or are we going to pretend that you didn't just turn ten shades of red when I said her name?" Alaric asked him, pulling up a stool to sit in front of him.

Damon took a drink of water. "I'm not going to sit here and gush about my date like a couple of hens in a henhouse, Ric."

"Well first of all, she's hot. I think that's kind of obvious," Ric stated. He received a warning glare from Damon in return. "Whoa, whoa. I'm not trying to encroach on your territory or anything, buddy."

"Don't talk about her like she's a piece of ass," Damon answered. "She's more than that. She's interesting."

Alaric raised his eyebrows. "Interesting?"

"I've never met anyone like her. I love that she's tenacious and independent and smart as hell. And of course that's all the things that scare me at the same time." Damon blew out a breath, testing his leg by bending and straightening his knee a couple of times. "She's got her work and her daughter and I just have to wonder where I'd even fit into all of this?"

"Well you've got priorities too," Alaric reminded him. "Today's the first day you've been late to the gym since I've known you. I'm all for you being happy, but you can't lose sight of why we're here. And she's got a kid, man. There's nothing casual about that. Maybe you guys aren't exactly kismet."

"Oh trust me, Ric. There's something there. It's a spark that I can't quite explain, but she's definitely supposed to be in my life."

Alaric gave Damon a swift punch in the arm.

"What the fuck was that for?" Damon asked, rubbing the spot Alaric hit.

"Had to make sure the guy smiling like an idiot in front of me was actually Damon Salvatore. You're going soft on me, aren't you?"

Damon smirked. Maybe his smile did light up whenever he heard her name or thought about her, but he couldn't bother to be too ashamed of it. "I can still kick your ass," he taunted Alaric.

"Yeah, we'll see about that. I'm going to need five sets of ten bicep curls. Don't use the light weights either, cheater. Make sure you grab at least fifty pound dumbbells."

With a shake of his head, Damon stood up and put a little weight on his weak leg. The pain had subsided, but he was still light when he stepped on it. "I fucking hate arm day," he muttered as he headed towards the free weights.

"Should have thought about that before you decided to spar without a warm up!" Alaric called out after him.

* * *

No part of Elena was looking forward to stopping into the garage that afternoon. Even though they were open on Saturdays, Matt and Tyler could normally handle things. They only called her in if something was really wrong. In exchange, she gave them every Wednesday off. They all had Sundays off since the garage was closed. It was a pretty even work schedule.

Thankfully, Tyler had recovered from the flu and made his way into work that morning. Unfortunately, the flu had now spread from Bonnie over to Matt and he was currently cuddled underneath a blanket in his apartment eating chicken noodle soup that Elena ran over to him. It's what Addie wanted for lunch and she had so much leftover that she dropped some off to Bonnie and Matt on her way into work.

Caroline jumped at the chance for babysitting duty this afternoon and tomorrow, screeching about cupcakes with sprinkles and pink frosting. Once Addie heard cupcakes, she was on board with the idea. Elena narrowly avoided the Spanish Inquisition about having lunch with Damon tomorrow as she raced out the door to cover for Matt at the garage. She couldn't be mad at him for it. It wasn't his fault that he had the flu and if anything, she knew that he'd much rather be there covered in axle grease than at home surrounded by a sea of tissues.

"Boss!" Tyler chimed from underneath a Honda Civic as Elena walked into the shop. He couldn't really see her, seeing as how his whole body was underneath the car, but he still knew it was her.

"Stop calling me that," Elena laughed. She'd never really feel comfortable being an authority figure over Tyler and Matt. They were older than her and they'd worked for her father for quite some time before she took over. She preferred to think of them as really amazing coworkers who just happened to count on her to sign their paychecks.

Tyler slid himself out from under the blue Civic. "Hand me that wrench, will you?" he asked as he extended his hand out.

She grabbed the wrench he needed and plopped it into his hand. "Looks like it's just us today."

"We can handle it. I've got a Charger in the next bay that could use your attention though." He slid himself back underneath the car. "I'm thinking the front strut needs to be replaced, but the guy wanted to talk to the boss."

She rub her hands together and walked over to the black Dodge Charger. Tyler already had the front wheels off of it and it was jacked up off of the ground. No doubt he drove it a few miles beforehand to figure out where the issue was coming from and she trusted his judgment. She glanced down at the strut assembly and sure enough, the shocks were well worn. It was obvious to the naked eye.

"Is the owner in the waiting room?" she asked Tyler as she walked back over towards the Civic.

"Yep."

Elena peaked into the waiting room and saw there were only two people sitting there. One was a blonde girl with curly hair who looked to be about Jeremy's age. The other was a handsome sandy blonde man in an expensive suit who she swore looked familiar. "Dodge Charger?" she called.

The man in the suit stood up and walked over to her as she slid behind the front desk.

"About time," he said and she noticed his thick British accent. "Did the owner get here to look at it yet?"

"Yes sir," Elena smiled.

"And?" he pressed impatiently, checking his watch to demonstrate that he was in a hurry.

"And your front strut needs to be replaced. That's why it wasn't handling correctly. We normally recommend a tire realignment after that, as new shocks can affect how the tires are balanced."

"That can't be it. I just had those replaced last year," the man gritted out.

"Really?" Elena asked curiously. "They look like they're about five years old. That's the average lifespan for shocks in a car like this if you're driving it regularly."

The man huffed at her. "Could you bring the owner out here? I'd like to confirm this for myself. I know for a fact that the shocks were replaced last year."

"You're looking at her. I own the place. Elena Gilbert," she said as she extended her hand outward. She could have sworn that she knew him from somewhere, but she couldn't quite place him.

"Sweetheart, you're very beautiful to look at but you are not a mechanic." The man laughed at her and if Elena wasn't completely used to this, she'd find it in her heart to be offended by it. "I was told that this is the best garage in town for specialty cars and that the owner would be able to fix my car with no issue. May I please speak to him?"

"You're looking at her," Elena repeated, this time a little more firm.

"Is this a joke?"

Elena pointed to a picture hanging on the wall of the waiting area. It was a photo of her and Grayson taken the day that he retired and handed the business over to her. They were standing out front of the building and he was handing the deed to her. "That's me. I own the place."

"Well then I guess someone must have misinformed me. You're a child. No wonder you're convinced it's my shocks. They're almost new!" The man's voice got a little louder at this point.

Tyler poked his head through the door connecting the waiting room to the shop. He must have heard the commotion. "Everything okay in here?" he asked, protectively. He viewed Elena as his sister and he would have easily thrown a punch for her if the situation called for it.

"Everything's fine, Tyler. Don't worry," Elena reassured him.

He gave her a knowing look before shifting his gaze over to the other person in the waiting room. "Honda Civic?"

The girl nodded her head, kind of in shock of the display that had been going on in front of her.

"You're all finished. Let me get your invoice written up and we'll get you checked out," Tyler told her.

"Thanks," she quietly mumbled.

The door closed and Elena focused her attention back onto the irritated customer in front of her. She had a idea of what happened as soon as he'd said he gotten the shocks replaced a year ago, but she was trying to be polite to him. Now that he'd raised his voice to her, that effort had gone out the window. "Whoever replaced your shocks used old parts. That's why they're shot now. Do you want us to replace them or not?"

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked, raising his voice at her again.

Tyler's head immediately peeked into the room again, but Elena raised her hand to let him know that she could handle this on her own.

"I'm Klaus Mikaelson! I hold a UFC title, for fuck's sake! I have money, more than enough money. I would never put used parts on my car!"

And that's when it clicked. During her internet research on Damon, she'd stumbled upon an article about the fight that everyone remembered but the one that he was probably trying to forget. In Las Vegas, Klaus Mikaelson took Damon's UFC title from him by knockout. It was a dirty fight, even by UFC standards.

The controversy was that while Damon backed away at the end of each round when the bell rang, Klaus would always get a couple extra hits in before the referee could pull them apart. Even still, he wasn't disqualified. When he finally knocked Damon out, he didn't back off like a gentleman. He kept hitting him. It was unanimously agreed upon by fans that Klaus paid off the referee and the judges, but no one could ever prove it so not only did he keep the title, but he continued on competing while Damon recovered from his numerous injuries.

Finally putting the pieces together, Elena narrowed her eyes at Klaus. There's no way she was fixing his car. "You know what? This garage works on Damon Salvatore's car. You probably wouldn't want us to mess with yours. Something might go wrong."

"I see," Klaus pondered, finally lowering his voice to a normal tone. "So you're the girl?"

"The girl?"

"The one he left with last night after he beat Luka? The new ring groupie?" Klaus chuckled sinisterly. "I have to say, your boyfriend put up a damn good fight, the kid gave him a run for his money though. I drove all the way from New York just to see them. Maybe when he's feeling up to it, tell him he's welcome to play with the big boys again?"

Elena rolled her eyes, not letting Klaus see her sweat. He may have intimidated other fighters, but this was her territory. "I'll tell him you said hello."

"Yes. Do that, sweetheart."

"Tyler, will you get the tires for Mr. Mikaelson's car put back on? He'll wait outside for it," Elena called to him.

Tyler nodded his head and dipped back into the shop.

"You have a very pleasant day, Mr. Mikaelson," Elena said coolly.

"Looking forward to seeing you again, Miss Gilbert," Klaus shot back, turning on his heel and exiting the waiting room into the parking lot. The bell on the door dinged as it closed behind him.

Elena let out a breath the minute it did. Should she tell Damon about seeing him? Surely he'd want to know that Klaus came to spy on his fight last night. Without the time to give it any more thought, she watched as the shy blonde girl with the Honda Civic shuffled her way up to the front counter. Elena glanced at the invoice Tyler left on the front desk then looked up at the girl.

"Just the oil change and steering fluid replacement, Miss Parker?" Elena asked.

* * *

His arms felt like jelly. Alaric hadn't been kidding about working him hard at the gym. Damon propped his leg up on the coffee table and plopped an icepack onto his shin as he sipped a glass of bourbon. He normally wasn't much for icing his injuries, but he didn't want to suffer the wrath of Rose if he wasn't able to stand for his television appearance on Monday.

His apartment was quiet and thankfully the housekeeper had come by to clean while he was at the gym. Now he had clean rocks glasses for his drinks and his kitchen was free of the dishes he'd dirtied making breakfast. Plus, he'd been close to running out of black tshirts. Today would have been his last and then he could have been forced to dig into the back of his closet for some other color. It wouldn't have suited him. Black was easy. It sent the message that he wasn't fucking around.

Speaking of not fucking around, he grabbed his cell phone from the coffee table and scrolled to Elena's name. He promised he would call her to make plans for tomorrow and truthfully, he was looking forward to hearing her sweet voice again. When the phone started ringing, he found himself getting slightly nervous.

"Hello," Elena answered after a couple of rings.

"Hey Elena?" he asked, even though he knew it was her. Why did all of his confidence go out the window when it came to her? She left him stumbling for words and a nervous wreck.

"Hey Damon," she giggled into the phone. "You called like you said you would."

"If I say I'm going to do something, I do it. That's one thing you'll learn with me." It was true. Damon was a lot of things, but undependable wasn't one of them. Rose knew that he'd show for his media appearances, even if he complained his way through them. Stefan knew that despite putting up an argument, he'd avoid the nightclub scene to help him build back a good reputation. Alaric knew that when it came down to it, Damon would give every training session and fight everything he had. Now it was time that Elena knew the same thing.

"Well I'm happy to hear from you. Listen, something happened today at the garage." Elena's tone was hesitant, almost like she was wincing to tell him what happened.

A million things ran through his head. Was she trying to get out of seeing him again? Did she get hurt or injured? Did this have something to do with Addie's father? His mind was racing with a plethora of negative options and he figured that the reality was probably much less dramatic than what he was dreaming up in his head. "Tell me about it, beautiful," he encouraged.

"I had to run into work to cover for one of my mechanics who is out sick and there was this asshole with a Dodge Charger who argued with me about what was wrong with his car," she began.

"And you want me to kick his ass?" Damon joked, a low chuckle coming from his throat.

"Well, no. But I think you'll probably want to because it was Klaus Mikaelson."

Immediately when he heard the name come from her honey voice, his grip tightened around the phone. If Klaus had so much as muffled a hair on her head, it would give him all the more reason to beat him in the championship this year. In fact, just hearing that he was an asshole to her gave him all the more motivation to make it back to Vegas and to win his title back by knockout. "He didn't harm you, did he? He doesn't even live around here. Did he track you down somehow? Oh, I want to kill him."

Elena laughed, probably at how protective Damon sounded. "Relax. I'm okay. He came to see your fight last night. It was just by chance that he came to my garage to get his car looked at. Someone recommended us. He wasn't thrilled when I told him that Gilbert's Garage is partial to you though."

"Please tell me you didn't?" Damon asked. She'd surely put a target on her back if so. He and Klaus had a score to settle and if Klaus thought he could use her to get inside Damon's head, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Of course I did. I wasn't going to work on the car of the guy that put you in the hospital." Elena thought she'd done right by Damon, standing up for him, making it known that Klaus wasn't welcome in her place of business.

He shook his head. "Damn it, Elena. Where are you? Is Addie safe?" Klaus fought dirty, far dirtier than any other fighter in the league. He'd have to ensure their safety.

"We're both at home. We're okay," she answered, confusion in her tone. She still didn't realize what she'd done by poking the bear.

"I need you to double check that the doors are locked, Elena." Damon dropped his icepack onto the floor and started moving around his apartment to get dressed.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "You're being ridiculous right now, Damon."

"Just do it," he instructed as he laced up his boots. "Text me your address. I'm on my way to you. Don't answer the door for anyone but me."

"Will you stop? We're fine. I'm capable of protecting myself. I've been doing it alone for three years now. You don't need to come over. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Pick me up around noon for lunch." Elena apparently wasn't having any of Damon's attempts to watch over them.

If this had been anyone else that she provoked, he would have gladly let her win this disagreement. He wouldn't have been happy about it, but he would've kicked his boots back off and been okay with letting her handle things herself. This wasn't anyone else though. This was Klaus and Damon wasn't being overprotective. He was being responsible.

"You stubborn woman," he muttered. "I just need to make sure you're okay. Let me drop by and do a quick sweep of the house, okay?"

"Okay, fine. I'll text you our address," she yielded. "But only to put your mind at ease so you can sleep tonight."

"Thank you." Damon shrugged his leather jacket on and grabbed his keys from the stand next to the door. As soon as he ended the call, he held his phone in his hand and waited for the text. Once he got it, he punched it into his GPS and drove there as fast as he could. Speed limits be damned.

He pulled up to a quaint brick house in a nice family neighborhood and parked in the driveway next to Elena's CRV. The blue front door of the house was still intact. That was a good sign that no one forced their way inside while he was in the car on his way there. He approached the house with calculated stealth, hoping that no one was watching, but taking extra caution if they were. Once to the front door, he rapped his knuckles against the wood.

"Elena? It's Damon. You can open the door now," he called.

"Oh it's unlocked! Come on in!" she called back.

This woman didn't seem to take orders from anyone, even in regards to her own safety. Damon's fingers gripped around the doorknob and it opened without any trouble at all. "Elena?" he called out into an empty living room as he stepped inside.

She emerged from nearby hallway, dressed in black yoga pants, a baggy purple tshirt with the _Gilbert's Garage_ on the front of it, and her brown waves piled high on top of her head. She looked comfortable and downright beautiful. "Hey. See? We're okay," she reassured him.

"You've got to keep your door locked," Damon warned, taking a couple steps towards her. "Don't make it easy for people to get in here, Elena."

"I was giving Addie a bath and you said you were on your way over. I didn't want to answer the door with soap all over my hands," she said with a shrug, like it was the most logical thing in the world. "Besides, this is a really safe neighborhood. I know all of my neighbors."

Addie's voice sounded from the hallway. "Momma, I don't know what PJs to wear!"

"Have a seat," Elena said, gesturing to the tan suede couch in the living room. "I've got to get her into bed and then I'll be right out."

She disappeared back down the hallway and Damon locked the front door behind him. He double checked that the deadbolt was secure before he made his way further into the living room. He passed by a mantle with pictures of Addie as a little baby, pictures of her with Elena on Easter and Christmas, pictures of Elena's parents and brother, and pictures of people he'd yet to meet but was pretty sure were the friends she'd mentioned last night.

"Hey, sorry about that," she said, coming into the living room and having a seat on the couch. She patted the spot next to her, signaling for him to sit down.

"You didn't lock the door," Damon said as he took a seat close to her.

"I told you why," she replied.

His jaw tensed. She was being increasingly difficult. "I asked you to lock it."

"Addie and I were just fine before you. We'll be fine without you looking in on us, Damon. If Klaus comes by, I can handle that."

"Please don't make this difficult," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I know we're supposed to be taking this slow and all, but this Klaus thing has kind of thrown our situation into hyperspeed. If we're serious, hell if Klaus thinks that we're even remotely close to serious, he's going to try to use you against me. I don't want you or Addie caught in the crossfire of my rivalry. You're incredibly brave, but that's not always enough."

"Are you saying he might hurt Addie?" It was apparent that Elena finally understood for the first time just how much danger they might be in by what she'd unintentionally done. The thought of something happening to Addie finally sunk in.

"I don't think it's outside of purview."

Her hand flew to her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. "I should have locked the door."

Damon took both of her hands into his and rested them on his lap. "I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm just trying to protect you and I'm trying to give you a chance to distance yourself from me for the sake of your safety." It broke his heart to even think about ending this with her, but if something ever happened to her or that little girl down the hall because of him, it wouldn't be the kind of thing he could forgive himself for.

Much to his surprise, she shook her head. She blotted a couple of errant tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "We're not breaking up."

"I wasn't aware we were officially together?" Damon smiled slightly, surprised by her admission.

She gave a small smile back. "Well like you said, we're moving in hyperspeed now."

For a moment, the fear that they both held dissipated and they basked in the knowingness of their feelings for one another.

"Momma?" Addie's head peeked around the corner, holding her nighttime blanket in her hands.

Elena turned her attention to her daughter, sniffling away anymore tears that she might have otherwise shed. "Yes, munchkin?"

"Uncle Matt says that when there's monsters under my bed, he has to come scare them away. Can you call him?" Addie took a couple timid steps out into the living room, her eyes focused on Elena and not really acknowledging Damon at all.

"Uncle Matt is sick. Maybe I could scare them away?" Elena offered, holding her arms out for Addie to jump into her lap.

Addie came running at Elena and crawled into her arms, resting her head on her shoulder. "You're not big enough," she told her mother.

"Is that so?"

Damon watched the adorable exchange with admiration and truth be told, a little bit of awkwardness because he felt very left out of their little family. Like Elena said, they'd been okay before him. If there was no missing role for him to fill, he was just kind of an outsider. He watched as Elena tried to soothe Addie to sleep in her arms, rocking her back and forth and humming a song that he swore he knew but couldn't quite place.

He made a motion to Elena and mouthed that he was just going to circle the house and double check that everything was locked. She nodded her head as he slowly got up and took a couple steps.

Addie finally noticed him and her eyes went big as saucers. She lifted her head from Elena's shoulder. "Damon!" she called out.

He was honestly shocked that she even remembered who he was. He waved at her. "Hi, Addie."

"You're big! You can scare the monster!" Addie said as she wiggled out of her mother's grasp. "Momma, Damon will scare them away."

Elena shot him a glance, silently asking if he minded helping out, and Damon was just happy to be of some use in this moment. Apart from securing the locks and windows in the house, he really didn't have much of a purpose right now. He held his hand out for Addie and she took it without hesitation. "Let's go scare those monsters away. I'm going to need your help."

Addie's bedroom was an explosion of pink and purple, the comforter on her bed covered in purple hearts on a pink background. Her small white bedframe housed a twin sized bed and there was only a small gap between it and the floor. Still, in a toddler's mind, that gap was big enough for monsters to get in. Damon knelt down and peered underneath the bed. It was pretty empty, save for a few rogue stuffed animals that had probably been in there for quite some time.

"Alright, Princess Addie. On the count of three, I need you to yell _Go away monsters!_ as loud as you can. If they hear us say it together, they'll have to leave."

Addie got down next to Damon and looked at him. "They won't come back when it gets dark?"

Damon shook his head. "Nope."

Seeming okay with his encouragement, Addie nodded her head. "Let's do it!"

"Okay, here we go. One, two, three…. Go away monsters!" Damon yelled, but found he was the only one that did so. He felt a little ridiculous and he heard Elena try to stifle a giggle from behind them. He turned around and she had her hand over her mouth trying to keep it together. When he turned back to Addie, she had her hands over her eyes.

"I'm scared," she said, her little hands glued over her eyelids.

"We're all safe. They're starting to leave, but they need to hear both of us say it. I need your help, Princess Addie."

She nodded her head, but kept her eyes covered.

"One, two, three," Damon counted out very slowly this time.

"Go away monsters!" This time Addie yelled loudly with him and immediately took her hands down, a big smile on her face. "We did it!" she cheered, holding up her hand for a high five.

Damon lightly tapped his palm to hers to congratulate her.

"Momma, we scared them!" Addie said as she turned to where Elena was standing.

"You sure did!" As she picked Addie up into her arms, she mouthed a silent thank you to Damon, who merely nodded in response.

"I'm ready for bed now," Addie said with a yawn.

Elena took a couple of steps towards the bed and gently set her down in it. She pulled the covers over her, tucking them around her body. "Snug as a bug in a rug," she said, planting a kiss on Addie's forehead. "Goodnight, little one."

"Goodnight, Momma." Elena moved to turn the light off and Damon was almost out into the hallway, his good deed done for the night, when Addie mumbled a quiet and sleepy "Goodnight, Damon."

He'd never forget the way it felt to hear that.

* * *

 **A/N: Giuseppe is a dick.**

 **I know a lot of you were hoping I didn't go stereotypical and make Klaus the "bad guy", but Vegas was a shitty thing for Damon and it's because of how shitty of a person Klaus is. I'm sorry and I hope you'll keep reading even still.**

 **Elena, Damon, and Addie give me all the freaking feels. Let me know if you've got them too.**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Happy Humpday! I wrote a REALLY long chapter so now we're breaking it up into 2 parts. This is the first of two.**

* * *

"Well I guess my job here is done," Damon said as he double checked the last window in Elena's bedroom. It was firmly secured. "I'd tell you that you should both stay somewhere else and lay low for awhile, but we both know you wouldn't listen," he smirked. "I'll see you around noon tomorrow?"

Elena bit her bottom lip between her teeth, trying not to notice the bare skin of his waist that was exposed from his tshirt when he lifted his arms to check each window. God, he was delectable. He made her think the kinds of things that a mother wasn't supposed to be thinking about with her daughter asleep in the next room.

There was something to be said about how Damon had quickly sprung into a protective mode over her and Addie. She wasn't used to dating a guy who cared about her that much. Her family and friends would have surely done the same thing Damon did, rushing over to confirm that all was safe and okay. A man that she dated though? Probably not, though she didn't have much to compare it to. Her only major relationship had been with Liam and he wasn't exactly present for much. He really only paid attention to her if he wasn't off riding motorcycles or drinking at the bar, which wasn't often. It was entirely unsurprising that he split town the minute he found out Elena was pregnant. That was an obligation he couldn't handle.

But she had to stop comparing Damon to Liam because truth be told, they were polar opposites. Where Liam seemed to be interested in anything but Elena, Damon was willing to make a real effort to get to know the real her. Where Liam bailed on any and all responsibilities, Damon thrived on being dependable. She had built her walls up so high, always focusing on Addie and projecting Liam's misdeeds on any guy who was interested in her, but somehow Damon had already started breaking them down. She owed it to him to stop using her past against him.

"Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot that you were concerned," she told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Damon tilted his head toward her. "Thank you for letting me. I know you don't accept help easily."

"Do you really think that Addie and I are in real danger?" Elena asked. If he had reacted this way, it might be that something could seriously go wrong. She needed to know what she'd gotten herself involved in, what she'd gotten her daughter involved in.

"I honestly don't know. Klaus is kind of unpredictable."

Elena thought for a moment before she said anything else. If something were to happen to Addie, she wouldn't be able to live through that. It would make sense for Damon to stay the night here in case something did happen. Then she thought maybe it was too presumptuous to ask such a thing. He probably had commitments and better things to do than stand guard over her house. In the end, she decided the safety of her daughter trumped any kind of potential rudeness. "Well would you mind staying here tonight, just in case? I think I'd sleep a little better if you did."

He didn't even hesitate to answer her. "I'd probably sleep better if I did too."

"Okay, let me just check on Addie then I'll pour us a couple glasses of wine?" She tried to hide her giddiness over the fact that he'd agreed to stay. Say what you will about Elena Gilbert, but she was not exactly a giddy kind of girl. She saved that right exclusively for Caroline.

Damon nodded then headed out towards the living room. Elena turned the corner and poked her head inside Addie's dark bedroom. She had her blanket clutched to her chest and was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Whenever Addie slept, Elena was taken back to when she was just an infant sleeping peacefully in her crib. For the first three months, Addie was a very fussy and needy baby. Elena's only hours of sleep were in the rocker next to Addie's crib, sometimes with her daughter sleeping on her chest. She thought she'd never get through the newborn stage, that the sleep deprivation alone would cause her to fall over and die, but now she was wishing like hell to have it back.

Satisfied that Addie was safe and sound asleep, Elena crept her way down the hallway and into the kitchen. She grabbed two wine glasses and blew the dust off a bottle of red wine that Caroline bought her many moons ago. She didn't typically keep alcohol in the house. After Liam left, she threw it all out, not wanting Addie to be raised in a house where everyone was drunk all of the time. This was her rainy day bottle, as Caroline put it. She had to reach to the back of the top shelf in her kitchen cabinet to retrieve the bottle, standing on the tips of her toes to do so.

With two glasses of wine in her hands, Elena joined Damon in the living room. She handed him one glass and he took a pretty large gulp of it almost immediately. Must have been a tough day on him. She sat down next to him on the couch and he casually draped his arm over her shoulders. Instinctively, Elena snuggled herself a little closer to him. He smelled like spice and mint and a hint of sweat. It was kind of comforting.

"So," Damon said as he took another sip of wine.

Elena nursed her glass. She still hadn't quite figured out how to parent while tipsy so she wanted to be alert in case Addie woke up again. "So," she countered.

They sat like this for a little while, in the peace and tranquil quiet of her living room, nuzzled next to each other on the fluffy suede couch. Elena found that it didn't bother her to have a little bit of silence with Damon. Even when he wasn't undressing her or she wasn't talking his ear off, she enjoyed just being near him. That'd never been the case for her before.

"I hope we didn't get you in too much trouble by holding you up this morning," Elena commented. "Addie can be a little persistent about her dollhouse. She's very proud of it."

"Nothing I couldn't talk my way out of," Damon replied, taking another sip from his wine glass. "Besides," he smiled "it was well worth it."

"Do you want to watch a movie? It's been awhile since I've watched something that wasn't animated," she laughed, hopping up from the couch. She started to flip through her movie collection, most of which was filled with Disney films. "Ah, how about this one?" She held up a movie.

Damon stood up and grab the DVD from her hands. "Dirty Dancing?" he asked hesitantly.

"It's either that, Legally Blonde, or a plethora of princess fairy tales," she shrugged.

"Dirty Dancing it is then. But don't get any ideas. I've got two left feet," he said, pointing a warning finger at her. "I'm basically useless on the dance floor."

Elena chuckled, grabbed the movie back from him, and loaded it into the player. "Well no one is asking you to live up to Patrick Swayze standards," she teased.

"Thank God. You would have been disappointed."

They snuggled back into the couch together and by the time Johnny finally lifted Baby in the final scene, Damon was softly snoring, his head rested on Elena's shoulder and his hand still firmly clutching his now empty wine glass. He looked so at peace, the subtle pain always in his eyes completely hidden away. She wondered what he was dreaming about. Maybe his mother, maybe fighting, maybe his car, maybe even her?

Rather than waking him, she gingerly slid herself out from underneath him, snagged the wine glass from his hand, and covered him with a blanket that was draped over the back of the couch. He didn't seem to stir much, except to adjust his head to a more comfortable position resting on the arm of the sofa. She turned and headed into the kitchen to rinse out their glasses.

Sure, every inch of her skin dared her to invite him into her bedroom. More than anything, she wanted him to touch her the way he did last night until she was no longer worried about the danger they might be in. But she couldn't think of Damon as an escape or a release anymore and really she didn't want to. He was integrating himself into her life now, into her home, and maybe with time into her heart.

* * *

"Pancakes, Momma! Pancakes!" Addie's bare feet skidded across the kitchen tiles and over to the kitchen table. She tried to climb into her high chair by herself and almost went toppling down. Elena arrived just in time to scoop her daughter up and into the highchair, securing her in.

"Shh, little one. We've got a guest." Elena glanced over to see that Damon was still fast asleep on the couch, blanket pulled over his head to block the sun shining through the windows. It was only eight in the morning, still early on a Sunday for anyone who didn't have kids. She giggled a little under her breath. Damon would eventually adjust to being on a toddler's schedule.

"Sorry," Addie whispered quietly. "Can we have pancakes, please?" She jutted out her bottom lip to plead a little.

Elena really didn't like feeding Addie anything that didn't have at least a little nutritional value. She wasn't one of those crazy moms who made her kids eat a vegan diet or anything like that, but she at least liked to get a little vitamins and minerals into their diets. "You can have one pancake, only if you eat your orange slices first," she reasoned.

"Grandpa lets me eat whatever I want," Addie pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well I'm not Grandpa," Elena said, turning around to peel an orange over the trashcan. She took out a knife to start slicing it up. "But I promise that if you eat this, I'll let you have one pancake and plenty of syrup on top."

"That sounds like a fair deal to me, kid," Damon's voice came from the other room.

Addie turned her head towards a very half-asleep Damon resting on the couch. His black hair was haphazardly sticking up, his eyes were half open, and apart from his head, the rest of his body was still bundled up underneath the blanket. She laughed at his hair, covering her mouth with her hand.

"See? Even Damon thinks it's fair," Elena said, setting the orange slices in front of her daughter.

"Fine," Addie conceded as she picked up one of the slices and bit into it. Juice from the fruit went all over her hands.

Elena set the coffee pot to brew and started getting together some pancake batter when she saw Damon shuffling through the kitchen cabinets out of the corner of her eye. "Can I help you find something?" she asked him.

"Coffee mug?"

"Upper cabinet to the right of the sink," Elena pointed with her wooden spoon covered in pancake batter. "Want some pancakes?"

Damon grabbed a mug from the cabinet and turned to face her. "I wish, but I can't. Training diet," he explained, rubbing his stomach like there was even an inch of spare fat there. "Gotta stay within my weight class or else Giuseppe will have my head."

"So, orange slices for you too?" she said, smiling and stirring the batter in a bowl.

"He can have mine!" Addie exclaimed.

"You will have yours," Elena softly scolded. "Or no pancake. We had a deal, remember?"

Addie pouted a little more, but dejectedly bit into another one.

"Just black coffee for now. I'll grab a protein shake when I get home." He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a small sip from the mug.

"Oh, okay." Elena was kind of disappointed that he planned to leave so soon. She wasn't naive enough to think he was moving in or anything, but it was nice having him around. The house also felt a lot safer with him in it.

"I'll still be back to pick you up for lunch," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Elena's eyes immediately shot over to Addie, who was distracted with her sticky hands and fruity breakfast. She couldn't imagine how confusing this probably was for her. Addie never knew Liam, never met any of the men Elena dated, and thankfully hadn't really asked questions about her lack of a father figure yet. Seeing Damon be affectionate with her mother might just get her thinking about what she'd been missing out on.

"Not in front of Addie," Elena quietly chided Damon for the innocent forehead kiss.

Damon responded apologetically, mouthing a simple sorry before taking another sip of his coffee. He set the mug down on the counter. "I should probably get home. Enjoy your breakfast, Princess Addie. Elena, I'll see you a little later?" he asked like he was unsure. Apparently he'd taken her tiny lecture a little harsher than she intended.

"Absolutely," Elena nodded. "See you around noon. Addie, tell Damon goodbye."

"Bye Damon!" Addie cheered from her highchair.

He awkwardly waved goodbye to Elena before heading out the door. How they should act around Addie was something they'd have to talk about later and truthfully, it wasn't something that Elena considered until just now. She'd never really had to have a protocol for that type of thing before. What was appropriate and what wasn't? Would Addie suddenly think that Damon was her father if he started to be affectionate towards Elena? Elena flipped the pancakes on the griddle as she pondered it all.

"Momma?" Addie asked curiously. "Is Damon an uncle like Uncle Tyler and Uncle Matt?"

And there it was. The dreaded line of questioning that Elena was hoping to put off until she at least had some answers of her own. She put a cooked pancake on a plate for Addie and drizzled some maple syrup on top of it.

"Um, not exactly like your Uncle Tyler and Uncle Matt," she cautiously explained.

"Then what is he?" Addie let the plate in front of her go unnoticed, her attention solely spent instead on trying to figure out who Damon was to her.

"He's my friend and your friend too." Elena nervously took a bite of her own pancake, washing it down with a large gulp of coffee and hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"Oh," Addie reconciled. "Well I like him. I wish he could be my uncle so he could come over and play with me."

Elena laughed. "Sweetie, he can still come over even if he isn't your uncle."

"I hope so. I really like him," Addie replied before diving into her pancake.

* * *

Damon slammed the door to his apartment closed with a loud bang. A nice run around the neighborhood to clear his head was well needed and now he honestly felt much better. It wasn't often that he could squeeze in a run by himself and as much as he loved Alaric, sometimes it was nice to just get his blood flowing without the sound of his trainer barking in his ear.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge, taking a hearty swig of it to quench his thirst as he caught his breath. He pulled his phone out of the pocket of his Nike shorts to check the time. He still had an hour and half before he had to pick Elena up from her house and time seemed to be absolutely dragging. At this rate, he'd die of old age before he could hear her soft laugh again.

He had a couple of unread emails so he flipped through those. Most of them were from Rose, confirming the appearance she had scheduled for him tomorrow, telling him he needed to get a new suit for a photo shoot on Thursday, and reminding him that he owed his brother an apology for taking out his frustrations at Giuseppe on him after his last fight. Rose was funny like that. She could be a real bitch sometimes, but she did whatever she could to keep things harmonious between the people around her.

The thing was, Damon didn't really feel like he owed Stefan an apology. Stefan was Giuseppe's favorite son, following in his father's footsteps at Columbia while Damon ditched college for his fighting career. School never suited him anyway. Even in high school, he did most of his learning outside the classroom. While Stefan kept his nose buried in books and led the debate team, Damon was something else; a rich kid from a private school in the city who spent his weekends racing cars and getting into trouble with his girlfriend from the other side of the tracks. He and Katherine raised a lot of hell together and sometimes it felt like Giuseppe still thought he was that sixteen year old kid who rebelled because he was bored.

That was where he was jealous of Stefan, who had an excellent relationship with their father. Giuseppe considered Stefan to be his intellectual equal, the heir to his self-made fortune, and his personal success in life. Whereas Damon felt like he would never really win over his father's approval, Stefan had just always magically had it. Damon even briefly considered trying to be more like Stefan, but that just wasn't who he was and he couldn't stand to be reduced to watered down version of his true self. Needless to say, his relationship with both his father and brother were pretty strained.

He hopped into the shower, hoping that it'd be closer to noon by the time he was clean and dressed. He even took his time shaving, going over the same spot on his chin about seven times with the razor blade. He managed to pass half an hour by doing so and yet it was still too soon for him to hop in his car to go pick up Elena. So instead he uncharacteristically fussed over what to wear. Obviously a black tshirt, but would he look more like boyfriend material in black or blue denim? Did he opt for sneakers instead of the normal black boots? He tried not to think about how much Alaric would make fun of him for this if he ever found out.

Settling on exactly the same outfit he started out in, Damon grabbed the keys to the Camaro and made his way out to the parking lot. He'd be a little early picking her up, but it would show that he was excited to see her again. At least that's what he was telling himself. No woman had ever made him this nervous before in his entire life.

"Still limping on that leg a little, Salvatore."

Damon's hand was firmly planted on the handle of his car and he didn't need to turn around to know who that voice came from. "Why are you here?" he gritted out, tension in his tone.

"Relax," Klaus replied. "This is a friendly visit regarding a certain mechanic who lives across town. Elena Gilbert? You know her?"

"Yep."

He laughed loudly. "She didn't seem to take too kindly to me, but I just can't quite stop thinking about her. The fire in her eyes, the passion in her voice. She's pretty incredible, eh?"

Taking a deep breath, Damon hung his head low. Klaus was clearly trying to get a rise out of him, hoping that Damon would take a swing at him. If he were to hit him outside of an official fight, it'd seriously jeopardize his sponsorships and position within the league. It was an underhanded tactic, but he wasn't planning on playing into it.

"And her daughter," Klaus added. "She's a pretty little thing too."

That made Damon at least turn around to look at him. "Stay away from them," he warned. "They're not involved in this," he said as he motioned between the two of them.

"Oh, but they are. You know you've always been a little weak in the ring, Salvatore. Not many people see it, but I exploited it and I beat you," Klaus continued, his hands shoved into the pockets on his black jacket, his nose a little pink on the tip from the wind that was whipping in the air.

"You beat me because you bought that fight," Damon cut in. "And everyone knows it."

"No matter," Klaus said with a sinister smirk. "You've trained hard. You'll be harder to beat this time, that's for sure. I'm just really going to have to hit you where it hurts this time around. Maybe if you throw the fight, I won't ever have to see Elena Gilbert again?"

It would have been easy to give Klaus what he wanted, to lash out at him right then and there for even suggesting he throw the fight. When he threatened Elena's well-being, Damon saw red for a few moments. He lunged at Klaus before pulling himself back a little. It wasn't worth it. This wouldn't settle the score. "I'm going to make it to the championship fight and when I do, I'll see you in Vegas in two months," Damon spat. "Until then, stay out of my town."

Not even bothering to hear whatever witty retort he was sure Klaus had prepared, Damon climbed into the driver's seat of the Camaro and slammed his door shut. His tires squealed on the pavement as he bolted out of the parking lot and towards Elena's house, his mind racing a thousand miles a minute as he did so.

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 **A/N: The next chapter is coming super soon!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is the second part of my two part update! If you didn't read Chapter 6, go back and do it! :)**

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"Okay cutie, you're going to behave for Aunt Caroline?" Elena kneeled down in front of her daughter, smiling and pinching her cheek between her thumb and index finger. A jittery and nervous Damon stood in the front doorway waiting on her to leave, shifting his weight back and forth between his two feet.

Addie reassured her mother with an enthusiastic nod. "We're making cupcakes."

"That sounds like so much fun. Save me one?" Elena replied.

Again, Addie nodded.

Elena stood up and gave Caroline a hug. "Thank you for watching her," she whispered into her friend's ear. "Call me if you need anything."

"For the love of God, please go have fun," Caroline responded.

"Lock the deadbolt after I leave, okay?" She wasn't taking any chances with this whole Klaus thing anymore. Short of having her own personal security guard at the house, she intended to keep the house as safe as possible.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yes mom."

"Bye Momma! Bye friend Damon!" Addie waved enthusiastically as the two of them walked out of the front door.

Damon smiled for the first time since he'd arrived and it wasn't unnoticed by Elena. "Bye Princess Addie," he said, turning and giving her a small wave in return.

Once they were in the safety of his car, doors locked, seatbelts on, Elena turned to look at him. "Okay, what is going on with you?"

He put the car in reverse and backed out of her driveway. "Tacos for lunch? I'm feeling tacos."

"You're feeling like avoiding my question."

"So, not tacos?"

"Damon." Elena let out a heavy sigh and shot him a look that told him she wasn't giving in.

"Are you sure this is going to work out between us?" he asked as they cruised down the road, no destination set yet.

She shook her head. "I'm not really sure of anything, but I do really like you and Addie likes you. I think you like us too so that's a pretty good start?"

"I worked really hard to get back to where I am. I can't just throw the most important fight of my career," he said with a defeated look on his face. "And that's what I need to do to keep you safe."

"What are you talking about? No one is asking you to throw a fight?" Then it dawned on her that he wasn't telling her the entire story. Something happened between this morning and now to make him feel this way. "Is Klaus asking you to let him win?"

"I feel so selfish for not wanting to, like I'm knowingly endangering you and Addie."

"Damon Salvatore, you will knowingly endanger yourself if you get to the championship and do not give it your all. I will personally kick the shit out of you myself," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"At least let me set up some security to watch over your house or something?" he offered.

"No."

"Can I move you guys to a safer place until this is all over?"

"No."

"Damn it, you're stubborn," he mumbled, his grip tightening on the wheel.

"Yep. Tacos are fine for lunch, by the way," she grinned. Yes, they were playing with fire when it came to Klaus. She was well aware of it, but accepting any kind of financial help from Damon was not something she was comfortable with. They'd just started dating and it wasn't right to take advantage of him like that. She felt confident that she could protect herself and her daughter just fine without the extra help.

Rather than argue with her any further, Damon seemed happy to just drop the conversation as well. "Tacos it is then," he replied, flipping a U-turn and heading into downtown. "You ever been to Mexico Joe's?"

Fifteen minutes later, they were seated in a corner booth of a tiny taco joint that Elena had driven past probably hundreds of times. It didn't have much curb appeal and it wasn't exactly what she'd call kid friendly so she'd never actually gone inside before. Now with a kid-free afternoon on her hands and a hankering for hot sauce, she was licking her lips as she stared down at the paper menu. "How's the pastor?" she asked, looking up at Damon.

"Kind of spicy. I don't know if-" he started to explain.

"Perfect. The spicier, the better," she interjected.

"Okay, so you mean to tell me that you love bourbon, cars, and spicy food. You're beautiful. You aren't crazy from what I can tell. And you're into me. This isn't real. You aren't real." Damon wore a goofy smile on his face that made Elena's heart flutter a little.

She reached across the table and pinched his firm bicep.

"Ow!" Damon's brows furrowed. "What was that for?"

She laughed before glancing down at the menu again. "Just proving to you that this is indeed real life."

A young brunette, probably fresh out of high school, sauntered up to their table to take their orders. Her eyes lingered a little too long on Damon as she greeted them and Elena tried her best not to take it personally. He honestly didn't even seem to notice that he was being checked out, too focused on what Elena to even acknowledge anything else.

"You've got a little," Damon said, motioning to his mouth with a smile.

Elena's eyes went wide as she realized that she had queso dripping down her chin from the huge bite of taco she'd taken. She fumbled for a napkin in front of her with her free hand and swiped it away. With a big gulp, she swallowed her bite. Could she be anymore unladylike? "Sorry about that," she said nervously.

He chuckled as he picked up one of his own tacos from the plate. "You're adorable."

She finished up what was possibly the best tacos she'd ever had, blushing at the way Damon looked at her like he actually wanted to devour her instead. When they were both full, their server dropped off the check and Damon reached for it, laying down a black Amex on top. She returned the check, wearing a big smile on her face.

"I knew you looked familiar," the server said, laying down the check and Damon's card in front of him. "Damon Salvatore! My brother would freak if he knew I got to meet you. Could we take a selfie?"

"Um, yeah." Damon looked at Elena rather uncomfortably. He wasn't super famous so it wasn't like he got recognized everywhere that he went. When it did happen, he always heard Rose's voice in his head telling him not to be a dick to his fans. At the same time, he was on an actual honest to goodness date. It wasn't exactly a great time for some perky little teenager to be running her hands all over him.

"Ahh!" she exclaimed excitedly, pulling her phone from the back pocket of her jeans.

Damon stood up and gingerly put his arm around her shoulders, all the while trying to maintain a little eye contact with Elena to let her know that he hadn't forgotten she was sitting there. He smirked a little as the girl raised her phone in the air and pressed her cheek against his.

"Thank you! Thank you! I'm Maggie, by the way," she said, reaching out her hand for him to shake.

He took her hand and shook it. "Of course, Maggie. Good to meet you."

"Well I won't keep you long. I see you're with your girlfriend and all," Maggie said as her cheeks grew red. "Thanks for the selfie."

Elena watched in awe as Maggie bounced away from them and then let her eyes flit over to Damon. She expected that he'd be checking out her ass as she walked away. After all, that's the kind of thing she'd come to expect with Liam. Instead, he had his hand held out to help her up from the booth, not even giving another glance to the server.

"Are we ready for part two?" he asked as they walked back to the Camaro.

Elena started to walk around to the passenger side of the car. "There's a part two?"

Damon nodded his head, fishing his car keys out of the pocket of his jeans. He tossed them in the air to her with precision and Elena held up a hand to catch them. "You're driving," he said.

"I'm driving?" she asked, trying to beat down the excitement in her voice. She'd been wanting to get behind the wheel of this thing since she first laid eyes on it, open it up and see what it could really do.

"Mmhm," he nodded. "Do not make me regret this," he said, pointing a finger in her direction.

With a jump in the air, she practically sprinted around to the driver's side of the car. She slid into the comfortable leather seat, adjusted the mirrors how she needed them, moved the seat forward, and just tried to get a feel of what it was like to sit here. Being the daughter of a mechanic had afforded the opportunity to work on a lot of really cool cars, even a lot of really expensive cars. What she hadn't got to do was a lot of driving in those really cool and expensive cars. It wasn't like her parents could afford one for her and after Addie was born, she wasn't about to strap a car seat into the back of a hot rod. This was an experience few and far between for her.

She tilted her head over to look at Damon, who was apprehensively seated in the passenger seat. "I've never actually sat on this side before," he said, his hands wringing nervously in his lap. "It feels kind of weird."

"I'll take good care of her," Elena said as she turned the ignition and slid her hands over the wheel. "Where to?"

"The Falls," Damon said. "It's a pretty day, not too cold. I figure we could hang out there for a little bit?"

Elena confidently shifted into first gear. She eased her foot off of the clutch and onto the gas, delighted at the sound that the engine made as it revved up. "You got it."

Damon visibly clenched his fists in an effort to keep from grabbing the wheel as she made her way out of the parking lot. Elena was doing a fine job driving, it wasn't that she was being wreckless. He just had major trust issues when it came to the Camaro. It was an unwritten rule that no one drove it but him. Well, until that moment.

She took the long way, wanting to savor the feeling behind the wheel as much as possible. For him, it was the longest car ride of his life. When she took one hand off the wheel to reach for the radio, Damon quickly reached for it for her.

"I got the music," he said nervously, turning the dial to a familiar station and the volume up to a much quieter level than what he would normally use. "You just focus on the road."

"I'm as free as a bird now. And this bird you cannot change!" Elena sang along to the radio with a laugh at Damon's down-right neurotic behavior. The car handled the curves of the back roads like a champ, but she hadn't expected anything else. She focused on the open road, which was pretty much devoid of traffic on a Sunday afternoon, and the lullaby of each gear shift mixed with a ridiculously cliché song. For a few moments, she even forgot that she was supposed to be worried about what kind of sugary treat Caroline was feeding Addie. She forgot that she had a mountain of paperwork awaiting her at work tomorrow. She forgot that some crazy guy may have it out for her. For those few fleeting moments, Elena Gilbert felt absolutely free.

It was a sight to see as Damon finally relaxed himself back into the passenger seat of his own car. There were few things in this world that he cared about as much as this car. He'd invested so much time and hard work into making it great again, building it back to its former glory through a lot of patience and sweat. The transformation had coincided with his own and perhaps that's why he felt so attached to a huge hunk of metal. None of that protectiveness seemed to matter after a few seconds of seeing how happy Elena was behind the wheel. She was in her element, absolutely comfortable in the driver's seat. The smile that lit up her face was matched only by the one she wore when she was with Addie, and even then this one was something different. It was made up entirely of bliss and tranquility and absolute total freedom.

"I hope I didn't cause you to have a heart attack," Elena said as she pulled into the empty parking lot near The Falls. This place was usually packed during the summer, but the chilly October weather had left it mostly unoccupied. "I tried to keep her under 60."

She safely put the car in park, turned it off, and tossed the keys over to Damon. He caught the keys, but didn't say anything. He just stared at her for a few moments, studying her face and searching for something. What it was, she had no idea.

"Hello? Damon Salvatore?" she said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you catatonic?"

He broke into a grin. "The way you felt just now, I promise to make you feel like that as much as I can."

"So does that mean I get to drive the Camaro everywhere we go now?"

"Nice try, Gilbert. These," he said as he jingled the keys in the air between them, "are my keys."

Elena shook her head, leaning across the space between them and trying to jokingly snatch the keys from him. His quick reflexes got the better of her and instead he shoved the keys into his pocket and came at her lips with his own. It was a rushed kiss at first, something to distract her from grabbing the keys out of his hand, but her body immediately relaxed and she pressed her lips further against his.

He responded by reaching for her, pulling her over the center console and directly into his lap. She quickly straddled him then resumed kissing him to her heart's content. The heat pooling between her legs had her seeking out friction for relief so she started to grind her hips against him, which elicited a throaty groan from Damon.

It was almost enough to make him lose himself in her completely. Never before had he met a woman that he wanted to worship quite like this. He started tugging at the bottom of her shirt, trying to rid her of it as quickly as he could. He wanted to put his mouth all over the delicate olive skin that lay beneath it. She got the hint, pulling away for just a second to casually toss her shirt into the backseat.

Damon pressed his lips against her chest, licking and sucking and kissing all the right places. Her skin tasted sweet, like vanilla mixed with a glass of his favorite bourbon and he wanted to surround himself in it. Hell, he wanted to drown himself in it.

Just when she started reaching down to get him out of his shirt, Damon had to pull himself away. He didn't want to, but he had to. There was another unwritten rule that he wasn't willing to break just yet: no fucking in the Camaro.

"What? What's wrong?" Elena said, her lips swollen and red from his earlier assault.

"Not here." Damon shook his head. "Let's go back to my place."

She crossed her arms in front of her bra, protectively guarding her chest with an embarrassed look on her face. "Yeah, you're probably right. Not here."

"Hey, I want to." He pressed his erection between her thighs to demonstrate it. "I really want to. I just have this thing about not hooking up with women in my car. Please don't be upset."

She climbed off of his lap, grabbed her shirt from the backseat, and pulled it over her head as gracefully as she could. "It's fine. Maybe you can just take me home."

And just like that, he watched the carefree Elena disappear and be replaced with the constant state of anxiety she carried around with her. And he felt fucking awful that he'd brought that back. "Do you want to drive?" he asked, fishing the keys out of his pocket and trying to hand them to her.

"No, it's okay," she said quietly. She opened the driver side door and stepped out. "Thanks though."

Damon gloomily opened his door and obliged her request to switch seats. He drove her back to her house, but the mood in the car had shifted from what it was earlier. He thought for a minute that he should ask her about it, lest she get the wrong idea about what happened, but her gaze was focused out the window for the entirety of the quiet ride back.

* * *

Once she read _Goodnight Moon_ enough times to get Addie to fall asleep, Elena drug herself into the kitchen to clean up the dishes from the dinner she'd made them. Right about now she was really wishing she and Damon hadn't drank her rainy day bottle of wine because she could really use a glass. She loaded plates into the dishwasher and then started taking out her frustrations on the poor pots and pans in the sink.

As she scrubbed furiously with the sponge against the ceramic, she willed herself to stop hashing out those few seconds in the Camaro. She threw herself at Damon and sure, they'd already had sex before so it wasn't like it was a complete and total rejection from him. It still stung though. It was the way he explained why that hurt the most. She wasn't just some hook up, she wasn't just some woman. This was supposed to be different, at least that's what she told herself.

Something about the way he said it took her back to being with Liam, when he'd treated her like nothing more than a girl that warmed his bed on the nights he chose to come home. Could she really handle falling in love with someone who just saw her as a hook up again? She barely survived it the first time.

When her phone started buzzing in the back pocket of her jeans, Elena rolled her eyes as she dried off her hands from the dishwater. If Caroline was calling to check on her one more time, she'd have to yell at her this time. As soon as Damon dropped her off from their date earlier, Caroline could read all over Elena's face that things didn't exactly end well. Elena had managed to dodge Caroline's questions, shooing her out the front door as quickly as she could. Of course Caroline was now bombarding her phone out of a place of concern, but Elena didn't want to talk about it out loud. It was too damn embarrassing.

She was surprised instead to see a text from Damon.

 _I know it's kind of late and you need to work tomorrow, but can I come over for a few minutes? We need to talk._

No good conversation ever started with a need to talk comment. Elena took a deep breath as she typed out a reply.

 _Sure. Addie's asleep so text me when you're here and I'll unlock the door. Don't want the doorbell to wake her up._

She tried not to wait by the door, instead scrubbing the countertops dusting her living room in the twenty minutes or so it took him to drive over. By the time her phone buzzed to let her know he was standing outside, she'd managed to clean the entire kitchen and the majority of surfaces in her living room. She was a woman on a mission and that mission was not thinking about how Damon Salvatore could break her heart if he wanted to.

Elena pulled the front door open and was greeted with a bouquet of pink daisies.

"Rose ironically said not to go with roses because they're cliché. This was the best I could do at nine o'clock at night," Damon shyly admitted, his arm stretched out in front of him holding the flowers.

It was a disarming sight as much as it was unexpected, but Elena took the flowers from him. She tried not to let a smile creep onto her face, but failed as she gestured him inside. "Thank you for the flowers," she said, walking into the kitchen to try to find something to put them in. She started to dig through the cabinets looking for a vase.

"They're fuck up flowers," Damon commented, following her into the kitchen.

Elena stuck her head out from the cabinet and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Fuck up flowers?"

"Yeah. When a guy fucks up and needs to apologize, he's supposed to get his lady flowers; according to Rose, who ever so clearly berated me for my behavior on the phone earlier. Apparently it's poor form to tell the half-naked girl that you're dating that she has to put her clothes back on. Who knew?" He cracked a smirk at her, trying to lighten the mood a little.

She pretended that the smirk didn't give her butterflies, diving her head back into the kitchen cabinet for a vase. She found one in the very back and grabbed it, filling it with some water before placing the daisies in it. She carefully arranged them on the center of her kitchen table, sensing that Damon was longingly watching her as she did so.

"I'm not just some hook up," Elena told him as she turned around to look at him.

He nodded, taking a couple steps towards her. "I know that. Do you think I would let just some hook up drive my most prized possession? Besides me, you're the only other person to be behind that wheel."

"Really?"

Damon extended his hand to reach for hers. "Really."

She didn't pull away, letting him intertwine their fingers together. He was close enough now that she could feel the warmth radiating off of his body, strengthened by his slight touch. She felt drawn to him, easing her way forward into his space. She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him lightly. "Well for future reference, fuck up flowers are a very nice gesture," she smiled, pulling back.

"Noted. I haven't really been in a relationship, at least not since I was a kid. I'm going to probably fuck up again," he laughed, slipping his hands around her waist to pull her body close to his. "So am I forgiven for being a little bit of an asshole?"

Elena made a show of considering it, but really she'd already forgiven him. He had no idea that what happened played off her existing insecurities and really how could he? She'd chosen to tell him the least about Liam as possible. That was a choice that she stood behind. "Forgiven," she nodded.

"That easily, huh?" he smiled mischievously. "I was prepared to have to make it up to you."

She mulled it over. It was late. Addie was fast asleep. As long as they were quiet, there wasn't too much harm in fooling around just a little bit. "Well you still could."

"Yes!" Damon quietly cheered, excitement in his voice that made her laugh.

Hand in hand, she led him through the hallway, tiptoeing past Addie's bedroom and into her own. She was sure to close the door shut behind them. When she turned around to look at Damon, he was already taking off his shirt. Aside from the bruises on his ribs from the fight on Friday, he was physically perfect. It was downright maddening how attracted she was to him. She traced her fingertips along the skin of his chest, across his rippling abs, and down to the button of his jeans. He didn't stop her when she popped it open.

Without an ounce of hesitation, he leaned in to kiss her, cradling her face in his hands as he did so. She moaned as his tongue brushed against hers. His lips trailed their way along her jawline and then down her neck. Damon's hands went to her shirt, taking it off for the second time today.

"Don't you dare put that back on this time," he commanded.

"Deal."

They were a mess of tangled limbs as they tumbled onto her bed, trying to touch each other as much as they could while getting the rest of their clothes off as quickly as possible. When there was finally nothing between them, Damon laid her out on the bed. She watched as he eagerly dipped his head between her legs and apologized in the most carnal way.

She had to stop herself from crying out as his tongue and fingers worked their magic on her, bringing her closer to her orgasm with each careful caress. Elena fisted her fingers into his dark hair, hoping that she wouldn't fly away if she held onto him tight enough. She never wanted him to stop. Her body had other plans as her skin started to flush and every muscle in her body tightened up. The euphoric feeling washed over her body from the sweet release and had her smiling, almost laughing with pleasure.

Trying to catch her breath, chest heaving and covered in a thin sheen of sweat, Elena propped herself up on her elbows as Damon sat up, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. The both of them were grinning like two teenagers who were in the process of falling in love for the first time.

"You are definitely forgiven," Elena muttered, letting out a little laugh. "Without a doubt forgiven."

He smirked, a thing she'd never get tired of seeing, then he gently pressed on her shoulder with his hand. "Lay back down. I'm not done apologizing yet."

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 **A/N: And there we go! Hope you guys have a fantastic Wednesday!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, good folks! I want to start out with an apology for the delay. Things at work are insane right now and that leaves me with hardly any time to write. I've been piecing this chapter together 20 minutes at a time between projects and that's been tough, but it is finally ready to post. (And it's over 8,000 words!)**

 **It's honestly your reviews that have kept me going! I read and cherish them all! Thank you so much.**

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Elena woke to the feeling of strong arms wrapped tightly around her and it took her a minute to remember the night before. Her habitually empty bed felt warmer as Damon's bare chest pressed against her back and the tickle of his breathe on the nape of her neck sent shivers down to the base of her spine. If there wasn't a little girl counting on her to make breakfast and if she didn't have to go into work today, she felt certain that she could just remain here with him like this for hours.

Sad that she had to do so, she started wiggling her way out of his arms. She glanced at her phone on the nightstand. It was a little before six in the morning, which meant she at least had time for a shower before Addie would normally wake up. As she padded to the connected master bathroom, she took a little glance back to the naked and drool-worthy man sleeping soundly under her covers. God, was there anything better?

The space between her legs ached from Damon's indulgent apology last night, and yet she couldn't find it in herself to be the least bit upset by it. It was a good ache, an ache that she didn't realized she missed having until she finally felt it again. She smiled to herself as she let the warm water wash over her shoulders. It was nice to get a few moments of quiet in anticipation of the days ahead.

This was going to be a busy day, especially since Bonnie was likely still ill with the flu. Elena would have to cover the front desk on top of her other responsibilities at the garage. At times, she missed just being a mechanic. Running a business was so stressful and it left such little time for her to actually get under the hood of a car these days. But, it afforded her the chance to be a self-sufficient single mother, never even having to ask Liam for any kind of child support. She knew she could do all of this by herself, after all she'd been doing it for years. The past couple days had her thinking that even though she could do it alone, maybe she didn't have to.

"Momma," Addie whispered, standing a few feet away from the shower curtain. "Why is Friend Damon asleep in your bed?"

After Elena recovered from the miniature heart attack of Addie sneaking up on her like that, she immediately cursed herself under her breath for not double checking that her bedroom door was locked. Even if Addie wasn't usually up this early, that didn't excuse it. How could she explain this to her daughter? How would she even begin to talk about it with a toddler?

She took a deep breath and poked her head around the side of the shower curtain, her hair dripping water droplets onto the tile floor. Addie stood there looking at her curiously, still in her nightgown with her hair wild and her eyes wide.

"Um, you know how sometimes Caroline and Bonnie have sleep overs with us?"

Addie nodded her head.

"Well, Damon and I were just having a sleep over. That's all," Elena explained.

Her answer didn't seem to quell Addie's curiosity and she could practically see the gears turning in her daughter's head as she tried to figure things out.

"Bonnie and Caroline are girls. When Uncle Matt has a sleep over with us, he stays on the couch because he's a boy," Addie said suspiciously. "Isn't Damon a boy too?"

Elena chuckled and noticed that the water from the shower had started to turn chilly. She reached to the knob and shut it off, thankful that she'd already rinsed the soap from her hair before Addie startled her. She reached her hand out for her nearby towel and brought it around her body.

"Damon isn't an uncle like Uncle Matt," she tried to clarify, stepping out of the shower. "He's, um," she paused because she wasn't sure how to really clarify this to a three year old. "Damon is," she hesitated again. "Damon is my boyfriend," she finally said.

"Ew," Addie grimaced, shaking her head. "Do you kiss? Gross!"

All Elena could do was laugh at her daughter's age appropriate reaction and so she did. She laughed so loudly that the sound echoed in the small bathroom. Once she finally calmed herself down, she tried to let Addie know that kissing is okay. "Why do you think it's gross?"

"Aunt Caroline told me that boys have cooties so you aren't supposed to kiss them."

"I bet she did," Elena said through a fit of giggles. Leave it to Addie to turn what she thought was going to an awkward conversation into a debate about the merits of cooties. "Well, Damon doesn't have cooties."

Addie crossed her arms in front of her chest and jutted her little chin out. "If you say so, Momma."

"C'mon, munchkin," Elena said as she ushered Addie out of the bathroom. She noticed Damon was no longer asleep in her bed and pouted a little at the fact that he'd disappear without saying goodbye. She knew he had a busy schedule this morning, but he could have at least yelled through the bathroom door before he left. "Let me throw some clothes on and then I'll make you breakfast? There's a coloring book on the kitchen table, I think. Will you color me something pretty while I get dressed?"

Addie nodded her head, skipping out of Elena's bedroom and towards the kitchen.

Since she'd have to fill in at the front desk a little today, Elena did the best she could to make herself look halfway decent. Instead of her usual worn in jeans with holes in the knees that she loved wearing to the garage, she went with a dark washed pair that were a little stiffer than what she preferred. At least they looked like they weren't falling apart at the seams. She put on a dark blue, collared polo shirt with the _Gilbert's Garage_ logo on the upper right side. It was their official uniform, but literally no one wore it. Still, it was better than the tshirts she normally threw on. After quickly taming her hair into a low side-braid and with probably minimal time before Addie called for her, she decided that was as good as things were going to get and slipped on her shoes.

Sneaking at peek at the time on her phone before she shoved it into her back pocket, she had now somehow gone from having plenty of time this morning to running late. She still had to make breakfast, get Addie dressed, drop her off with Grayson and Miranda, and open up the garage. She frantically ran to Addie's room to throw a change of clothes and her favorite blanket into a bag. She picked an outfit and laid it on Addie's bed and then made a mad dash to the kitchen so she could pour her a bowl of cereal.

Elena was almost knocked over in shock when she saw Damon standing at her kitchen counter, thankfully much more clothed than the last time she saw him. He smiled and handed her a cup of piping hot coffee as she walked into the kitchen. She looked over to the kitchen table where Addie was happily munching on a bowl of Cheerios and doodling in her coloring book with her free hand. She closed he eyes and breathed in. When she opened them she was still holding the cup of coffee, steam rising from the cup, and her rambunctious toddler was occupied and fed. This was actually real and she didn't have to lift a finger to do it. "So this is what it's like to have help," she said to herself quietly under her breath.

Despite her trying to mumble quietly, Damon indeed heard her. "I just brewed some coffee and put some Cheerios and milk in a bowl. It's not like I cleaned your kitchen or anything," he shrugged casually. "Good morning, by the way." The last sentence was punctuated with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Good morning," she replied with a smile before raising the mug to her lips and taking a huge sip.

Damon turned to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot as well. "I couldn't figure out that highchair contraption thing," he stated. "Sorry if she's supposed to sit in that."

"Oh, she's fine at the table with cereal." A tone of astonishment was still in her voice. It was something small, a simple gesture of brewing a pot of coffee and throwing together breakfast for Addie, but it made an immense difference to Elena.

"Momma?" Addie said, looking up from her bowl of Cheerios.

Elena took the few short steps to the kitchen table and sat down beside her daughter. "Yes, munchkin?"

"Friend Damon can sleep over again if he wants to. I don't think he has cooties." Addie's mouth was still full of cereal and she whispered the words quietly enough that Damon probably didn't hear them from the other side of the kitchen, but the approval of this toddler meant more to Elena than words could express. It wasn't even eight am yet and already this was the best Monday she'd had in a long time.

Damon was leaning back on the counter, taking long sips from his coffee mug and looking on as Elena quietly interacted with Addie. The tenderness and love between the two of them was unlike something he'd ever witnessed. He never really considered himself a kid person before. Sure, winning over Elena meant he had to win over Addie too. After all, they were a packaged deal.

Aside from that though, Addie basically made his heart melt the minute she first smiled at him so when he saw how Elena looked at her like she was her greatest accomplishment, he kind of understood it a little. That fearless, outspoken, sweet little three year-old was one hell of a person and even if he had to pour her one hundred bowls of Cheerios and spend hours playing with Barbies, he would win her over.

* * *

"You're late," Rose remarked as Damon strolled onto the soundstage of the TV station. She glanced at the gold watch on her wrist as she tapped her right foot nervously against the concrete floor. "Twenty-two minutes late, to be exact."

He pulled his Ray-Bans off and hung them on the collar of his black tshirt. "It's a beautiful Monday, isn't it?"

"It is fifty degrees outside and raining. Also, I've been up since five am" Rose grimaced as she took Damon by the bicep and led him over to the hair and makeup chair. She forcibly plopped him down in it and normally Damon would have been cursing at her for manhandling him, but he willingly complied due to the good mood he was in. "Okay, what the hell is up with you?"

Damon chuckled and looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Stop that. Stop laughing. Who are you and what have you done with the brooding and snarky Damon Salvatore we all know and love?" She paused for a minute and studied his face before her eyes lit up. "You like her! Like really, really like her!"

"That girl from Friday?" Stefan interjected as he walked up to the two of them, dressed in a dark grey suit that fit snuggly enough to show off his lean frame. He was never as muscled as Damon, but he was an avid runner and the fruits of his labor had given him a nice build in his own right.

"You're nosey. The both of you," Damon said in a tone that was supposed to sound snappy, but he was having trouble quelling the smile on his face for more than two seconds at a time.

A short brunette waltzed over and picked up a couple of the makeup brushes that laid on the table in front of Damon. "Hi, I'm April," she introduced herself to Damon. "I'll be doing your hair and makeup before we get you out there with Andie."

Rose and Stefan took that as their cue to give Damon and April some space and for that, Damon was thankful. He tried not to concentrate on the fact that he had to wear makeup because it made him feel kind of silly and he really tried not to get irked at April as she overloaded his hair with hairspray, the cloud of chemicals making him cough a little as she did so. Despite all of that, he relaxed into the chair and let April work her magic on him because he wasn't going to let such trivial things ruin the perfect start to his day.

"My boyfriend is a huge fan, by the way," April said as she dusted Damon's nose with a bit of powder. "I personally don't understand the appeal of UFC, but he's watched all of your fights on TV."

"It's much better to watch in person, at least that's what my girlfriend says," Damon replied and he realized it was the first time he'd referred to Elena as his girlfriend out loud to someone else. The significance was not lost on him. "I could get you guys some tickets for my next fight," he offered casually.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she politely declined.

"Consider it done. I'll ask Rose to get some to you."

"That's so nice of you. Thank you so much!" April put the finishing touches on Damon and then stepped away to admire her work. "You're all done. I think your team is waiting for you over there."

Internally groaning, Damon pushed himself up and walked over to where Rose and Stefan were now standing. He didn't really feel like answering any of their inevitable questions about Elena right now, lest they ruin his good mood.

"Hey, do you think we could get a couple tickets to April over there for my fight against Connor Jordan?" Damon asked Rose as he gestured to April. "Apparently her boyfriend is a big fan."

"Your good mood is seriously freaking me out right now," Rose said.

"You're just not used to seeing lovey dovey Damon," Stefan teased. "In high school, he would practically lay down on a puddle just so his girlfriend wouldn't get her feet wet."

"You're one to talk, Stefan. You let Valerie get away with anything before she left you for the captain of the football team," Damon snipped back and for the first time all morning, he let a little bit of anger bubble up.

"Oh c'mon, children," Rose said with a roll of her eyes. "We don't have time for playground foolishness."

Damon and Stefan crossed their arms at each other and shot a look that only siblings could give; the look that said _I love you, but you're being a real asshole right now_.

Rose turned her attention to Damon. "Did you go over the interview questions that I sent you last night?"

"Um, not exactly," Damon hesitantly replied.

"So the apology flowers went over well then?"

Damon gave a cheeky wink and a waggle of his eyebrows. "Well that and my amazing apology skills."

"Ugh, gross!" Rose said as she adjusted Damon's tshirt and snatched his sunglasses from the collar. She shoved them into her purse. "You look good," she said as she stepped back. "Casual and relaxed, yet put together. Getting laid suits you."

"I guess we'll just have to give you a quick debrief before you go on the air," Stefan said, trying to change to subject to something that wasn't his brother's sex life. "It should be a pretty easy interview. She'll ask you about your fight next month against Jordan and then some fluff questions about your favorite foods and stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary. Think you can try not to upset father this time?"

"No promises."

Rose shot him a death glare that scared him a little. It was insane how much he actually respected her authority.

"Fine," he said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I'll keep it PG."

"Thank you," Stefan replied, letting out a breath.

A production assistant quickly marched up to them, an earpiece strapped to her head. "You're on in seven, Mr. Salvatore," she said before scurrying off to attend to another task.

Rose grabbed Damon by the bicep again and drug him closer to the soundstage. They were now waiting off to the side, out of camera shot, but Damon could see Andie Starr sitting in her chair and reading her lines from the teleprompter into the camera. A stylized logo was on the screen behind her; _Dish and Dine with Andie_.

"Happy Monday everyone! Today's show is going to be really exciting. We're going to chat with the very drool-worthy former UFC champion Damon Salvatore then later I'll show you how to make an amazing recipe for chorizo cornbread muffins that's sure to be a hit this holiday season! Of course as always, we'll be dishing some dirt on the latest gossip and viral videos in between all of that. It's all coming up right after this commercial break!" Andie ended the introduction with a smile and waiting until the producer gave her the signal that they were currently off the air to get up from her seat.

Her heels clacked as she strode over to Damon. "Hey, Damon. Good to meet you," Andie said as she extended a hand in his direction. "It's great to have you on the show."

The Damon Salvatore from a couple weeks ago would have quite literally tried to charm the pantyhose right off of the tall and leggy strawberry blonde in front of him and given the way she was batting her eyelashes at him, it wouldn't have been much of a challenge to do so. Instead, he tried to keep things professional. Apart from promising Rose and Stefan that he'd be on his best behavior, he had a petite little brunette that had agreed to be all his and in return, he'd agreed to be only hers. "Nice to meet you, Andie. Thank you for having me," he responded curtly.

Still, Andie blushed a little as they shook hands but she quickly put up her own professional demeanor to cover it up. "So I'm getting the signal that we're about to come back from commercial. I'll introduce you and ask you to come out, then you just have a seat on the couch and we'll chat for a bit."

Damon nodded his head and watched as she sauntered back onto set and took a seat in her chair, crossing her legs at the ankles. The producer counted her down to let her know when they were coming back from their break and she smiled right on cue.

"For those of you just tuning in, our guest today is former UFC champion Damon Salvatore. He's competing to win back the title this year, but before he does that, he stopped by with us today to dish a little dirt. Please give him a warm welcome!"

The live audience clapped and hollered as Damon stepped out onto the set. The bright lights were almost blinding, but he took purposeful steps to the couch next to Andie and sat down, crossing right his ankle over his opposite knee. He leaned back on the red couch. It was actually a pretty comfortable piece of furniture.

"Thank you for taking some time out of your training schedule to come on the show," Andie began.

"It's my pleasure, Andie. It's nice to have a break from my slave driving trainer today," he said with a smirk. He turned towards the live audience, filled almost entirely with women who were undressing him with their eyes. Leave it to Rose to book him on a daytime talk show entirely filled with women. To give her credit, Rose knew how to market Damon pretty damn well. Men were generally drawn to UFC for the brutality of it, but women loved it for the fighters and Damon had amassed quite an army of female fans.

"So you're 2-0 so far this season," Andie began. "Your fight next month will determine whether you'll go to the championship. Tell us a little about how you're preparing for it."

"Well, obviously I'm training and trying to push myself harder than ever before. I won't lie though. I'm not twenty anymore and it's harder to stay in peak physical shape these days. I'm also trying to balance everything out. You know, there's more to life than fighting so I'm spending time outside of the gym with friends and family." Damon tried to give the most non-controversial and boring answer he could. Stefan would be proud.

"Is that difficult? To be a professional fighter but to also have a life outside of it? I mean, we've never seen you with a serious girlfriend before. I can't imagine that your schedule leaves time for those sorts of things."

Damon pondered the question for a moment. "I'm fortunate in that I have a very good support system behind me," he answer, choosing not to go into further detail. It wouldn't be wise to talk about Elena on television, even if it was just a daytime talk show, without getting her approval first.

"But you are single?" Andie pressed on, unwilling to let Damon's vague answer end the conversation. She batted her eyelashes at him as she did so, flirting incessantly. "As in, you're not in a committed relationship?"

"I'm," he paused for a moment. "I am seeing someone."

There was a collective and disappointed sigh amongst the female audience members.

"Well that was the sound of a million hearts breaking," Andie said with a small laugh, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "It's actually funny you mention that you're seeing someone. We just got these exclusive photos in this morning." Andie motioned to the control booth and looked up at the screen behind them.

Damon looked on as well and watched the screen change from the show logo to some blurry and far away pictures of him from this weekend. He was chowing down on tacos with Elena. The invasion of privacy made him shudder a little, but he tried to keep his cool.

"So is this mystery girl your new girlfriend? Can you tell us a little more about her?" Andie asked him.

He was completely blindsided, not really ready to answer questions about Elena live on television right now. Instead of answering, he just kind of sat there with his mouth slightly agape.

"Well I guess that's all the confirmation we need!" Andie turned her attention to the camera. "When we come back, we're going to play one of our favorite games: two truths and a lie!"

The producer once again signaled that they were off the air for a bit and an assistant approached Andie with a glass of sparkling water. Andie put the straw delicately between her lips, so as not to smudge her lipstick, and took a small sip. She flippantly waved the assistant away once she was done.

"Sorry for putting you on the spot," she apologized to Damon without really looking at him. Instead, she seemed to be busy adjusting the hemline on her dress. "Inquiring minds want to know."

"Dating life was not part of the agreed upon questions!" Rose exclaimed, storming onto the set. A couple production assistants were trailing behind her trying to catch her and bring her back into the wings. "Stick to the questions, Andie," she warned, waving a finger in her face. "That's part of the deal of this exclusive interview."

"I sometimes like to go off script," Andie shrugged. "You didn't mind, right Damon?" She cut her eyes over to him for confirmation.

Damon sat there on the couch looking at a fuming Rose and a disinterested Andie, both of which were staring at him for the answer they wanted. Why weren't more women like Elena? He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I'm not comfortable discussing my girlfriend," he stated confidently.

"Neutral topics only!" Rose pointed at Andie again. She stormed back off of the soundstage and back to where Stefan was standing.

"She's feisty," Andie commented, adjusting the ends of her hair.

Before Damon could say anything in response, the producer started counting them back from the commercial break.

"Welcome back! Next up, Damon has agreed to play two truths and a lie with us! I'm going to read three statements about Damon and you have to guess which one of them is untrue. Audience, this is where you all get to vote with the paddles underneath your chairs. If you think the first statement is the lie, hold up your number one paddle. If it's the second, hold up number two. If it's the third, hold three up in the air." She turned to look at Damon. "Then you'll tell us which one is untrue, deal?"

Despite the fact that Andie had been rather invasive earlier and she was the kind of materialistic woman that drove him up the wall, Damon put on a smirk, turning on the charm because he had to. "Deal. Hope you guys are good at guessing," he said to the audience with a wink.

Andie lifted a card from her lap. "Okay, number one: Damon has one younger brother. Number two: Damon started training in MMA when he was in high school. And number three: Damon owns a Ford Mustang."

Damon and Andie both turned their attention to the audience, who were holding up their paddles. Most of them were correctly holding up the number three ones.

"Damon, which one is the lie?"

"Well, you all are pretty smart. It's the third one! I'm more of a Chevy guy, vintage Camaros to be exact." He could see Rose giving him the thumbs up in the wings, letting him know that he was doing exactly what he was supposed to do and acting exactly how she wanted him to act.

"So that one was pretty easy. Here's the next set," Andie said as she picked up another card. "Number one: Damon's favorite color is black. Number two: Damon's favorite liquor is scotch. Number three: Damon's favorite TV show is Lost."

Most audience members were holding up their number three paddles.

"Well most people say I have a strong resemblance to Boone from Lost," Damon said. "Even though I don't see it, Lost is indeed my favorite show. My favorite liquor, however, is bourbon."

"It's the endless and dreamy blue eyes," Andie said. "On behalf of all women, we're drawn in by the blue eyes."

"Sometimes they get me in a little trouble," Damon said with a smile and Andie instantly blushed.

She quickly collected herself. "Last round! This time we're making it a little more difficult! Number one: Damon has a tattoo on his right thigh. Number two: Damon's mystery girl is actually a local mechanic. Number three: Damon fights in the middleweight UFC class."

His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he looked beyond Andie to Rose, whose face was red with fury. Stefan was physically holding her back from storming on set in front of the cameras. Without Rose to tell him what to say, Andie looked over to the audience. They were all holding up their number one paddles. And they were partially correct. He didn't have any tattoos. That was a pretty well-known fact. It was also pretty well-known that he was a middleweight. The wildcard, the statement that Andie most likely adlibbed was the bit about Elena, but he didn't want to give away too much of her personal information on the air. There were only a small number of garages in the area and an even smaller number of female mechanics.

As he turned his attention to Andie's smug expression, he knew that she was pleased with the corner she'd backed him into. "Well Damon, is the audience correct? Which one of those statements is untrue?" she pressed.

Damon tried to think quickly on his feet. "Trick question, Andie! Only number three is true!" he said, faking as much enjoyment out of this stupid game as he could.

"So you're both tattoo free and your girlfriend is not a mechanic?" Andie confirmed, raising her eyebrows.

"That's correct," Damon nodded, lying through his teeth.

"Care to share what she actually does for a living?" Andie continued, knowing full and well that he didn't want to do so.

"For both her privacy and my own, no." Damon remained firm in his stance, stoic even. For the first time during this sham of an interview, he didn't politely entertain and dance around Andie's line of questioning. He drew a line in the sand and he wasn't stepping over it.

"Well then," Andie said with a bit of an attitude in her voice. "I think that's all we have time for today. Thank you again for joining us, Damon. When we come back from commercial, we'll move right into our cooking segment. See you on the other side!" she said into the camera.

The moment they were off the air, Damon stood from the couch, calmly took the microphone off of his shirt, and walked off of the set. He didn't say anything else to Andie and he didn't act out in any way as he placed the microphone pack into the awaiting hands of a production assistant. As he walked over to a very angry Rose and a mostly irritated Stefan, they knew they had precisely ten more seconds until Damon exploded. They rushed him out of the studio as quickly as possible.

When the door the soundstage swung closed with a loud bang and it was just the three of them in a mostly empty parking lot, Damon's calm exterior quickly deteriorated. He swung a fist at the brick of the building with a loud yell, pulling it away with mangled and bloody knuckles. He didn't seem to be bothered much by the pain and took to pacing back and forth in the parking lot.

"You can bet that's the last time she books anyone I know. I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't know she'd go off script like that," Rose apologized, something she rarely if ever did. Rose possibly apologized even less than Damon.

"Like I said before, I'm getting my title back from Klaus. The rest of this circus is just in the way," Damon gritted out, his fist clenched at his side as the blood dripped from it onto the pavement below him. With Klaus breathing down his back to throw the championship and his new relationship with Elena developing, the last thing he needed was some nosey journalist with a hundred dollar haircut and early age Botox injections making his life any more difficult.

"Brother," Stefan said, placing a hand on Damon's shoulder. "She was out of line, but you've still got to play the game here. More exposure means more sponsors, which you desperately need."

"Well not at the expense of Elena," he replied protectively.

Rose reached for Damon's injured fist. "Alaric is not going to be happy with you. Good thing you've got a month before your next fight."

"Just promise me no more daytime talk shows?" Damon breathed out, finally letting himself calm down a little. "I don't think I can take anymore nosey ass bimbos asking me about my love life or gushing over my battle scars."

Rose nodded her head, letting out a small chuckle. "Promise."

* * *

The volume on the TV in the waiting room of Gilbert's Garage was far too high. Elena found the high-pitched noise coming from it (also known as Andie Starr's voice) to be rather grating on her nerves. To think that anyone even found _Dish and Dine with Andie_ to be entertaining in the slightest seemed unfathomable to her. It was bad enough that she she'd started out by introducing Damon as drool-worthy. What self-respecting journalist describes her guest as drool-worthy? Elena cringed.

She nearly spit her coffee out when she saw that blurry and unflattering picture of her eating a taco pop onto the screen. If she had to be outed as Damon's girlfriend on live television, did it have to be while she was stuffing her face? Thankfully, Damon had been very considerate of her privacy. If her stepping forward public as Damon's girlfriend just affected her, it wouldn't have been a problem at all. The trouble was, it would also impacted Addie's life in a large way. For now, she was fine keeping things a little more low-key.

When Damon's segment ended and Andie had moved on to some cooking lesson, Elena searched for the remote control so she could finally turn the volume down. She was grateful that Damon wasn't on there any longer so that she didn't have to listen to Andie's annoying schoolgirl giggle anymore. She might be mature, but Damon was still her man. She had no problem letting anyone know it.

Caroline waltzed into the waiting room, ever the vision in skinny jeans and a light blue sweater that seemed to glow against her porcelain skin. The bell on the door dinged loudly as it slammed shut behind her. She pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head, effectively pulling her blonde hair away from her face. "I drove over as soon as I saw. Andie Starr's always been kind of a ditz."

"It's fine, honestly. I found the whole thing kind of funny," Elena said with a shrug.

"Boss lady," Tyler said, poking his head into the waiting room from the garage with a smile on his face. He knew the nickname made her uncomfortable so he took every opportunity he could to tease her with it.

Elena turned around to look at him. He was covered in axle grease, not uncommon for their line of work, and the red bandana wrapped around his head pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Yes, humble employee?" Elena teased back.

Tyler rolled his eyes in response, purposefully not acknowledging Caroline. It was a love-hate game that they liked to play with each other. No one bickered like they did. "Matt wants to have a cookout at his house tomorrow after work. You game? I'm bringing my new girlfriend."

"Can't wait to meet bimbo number four!" Caroline exclaimed, clapping her hands together with mock enthusiasm.

"Did I invite you?" Tyler asked her.

"No, but Matt did." Caroline childishly stuck her tongue out at him. "He called this morning and invited me."

"Matt Donovan!" Tyler yelled back into the garage behind him. "Get over here!"

Matt came jogging up behind Tyler, wiping his hands on a red handkerchief, his white t-shirt covered in dirt. "What's up?"

"So now we're inviting my ex-girlfriend to hang out with my new girlfriend?" Tyler asked distrustfully. "Shady shit, bro."

"Language!" Elena interrupted.

Tyler glanced around the empty waiting room. "No customers right now, boss lady," he replied with a wink.

"Ugh, I hate you," Caroline groaned.

"The feeling's mutual, Care," Tyler bickered back.

"I swear Addie is more mature than you two," Elena grumbled. She turned her attention to Matt. "Sorry Matty. I don't know if I can go. I don't have anyone to watch the kiddo."

"Bring her! She likes burgers, right?" Matt asked. Truthfully, her friends understood and expected that Addie and Elena were a packaged deal. They'd all seen Addie grow from a tiny little infant to a walking talking miniature version of her mother over the past few years. Whenever they planned things together, they tried to assure that Addie could join them. Needless to say, things had gotten a lot more kid-friendly over the past three or so years.

"Oh, bring Damon too!" Caroline interjected, her earlier saucy attitude quickly gone. "And ask Damon to bring a friend for me! A tall, muscly, UFC fighter friend!"

"Um," Elena hesitated. "He might have plans already, but I'll ask him."

If anything could scare Damon off, it would probably be her insane and rowdy group of friends. He passed the Addie test. Here's hoping he'd keep up the hot streak.

* * *

Damon needed to hit something. Hard.

He navigated the city streets with precision as he rounded the corner to his training gym. Today wasn't a training day. It was actually supposed to be one of his rare rest days, but this negative energy wasn't just going to dissolve on its own. He needed to take it out on a punching bag.

He grabbed his spare gym bag from the trunk of his car and slung the strap over his shoulder. The trunk closed with a loud thud and Damon dug through the bag for his ear buds. Sometimes when he really, really needed to let it out all, he'd blare some shitty heavy metal music through them. Today definitely seemed like an Iron Maiden kind of day.

Once he changed and aggressively scrubbed at his face to get all of that fucking makeup off of it, he taped up his busted knuckles just enough to not get blood on anything. Hitting anything with them would probably still sting, but it didn't matter. He pushed in his ear buds and set his sights on the punching bag.

He collided one fist with the cool leather, sending it swinging slightly backwards. Then he switched to the other. He alternated with increased speed and fervor, not even pausing to take much of a breath in between. If his marred hand was hurting him, he certainly didn't notice it in that moment. The only thing he could feel was rage. White hot rage that boiled deep inside of him.

He'd worked so hard to get back to where he was. He clawed his way through his recovery, groveled to his father to fund his comeback, and barely convinced the UFC committee to even let him compete again this season. It had been a rough road, but he did it because he had to. He was a fighter. That's what he was at his very core. If he wasn't that, what was he?

But then he met Elena. For the first time since Katherine, Damon started to see a life outside of fighting. The way she looked at him, it made him feel like he mattered. And it wasn't because she had money riding on a fight or because she stood to gain anything by knowing him. He mattered to her simply because she cared about him in a way that no one else had in a long time.

So why couldn't he have both? Why did the two have to be mutually exclusive?

Damon felt a light tap on his shoulder, so light that he almost didn't even feel it. He turned, his hands still balled up in fists and much to his surprise, his baby brother was standing behind him. Stefan had ditched the three-piece suit for a pair of Nike shorts and a tank top that showed off his lean arms and the solitary rose tattoo on his bicep that he let Valerie talk him into on his eighteenth birthday. Damon would never forget how pissed Giuseppe was that night.

He could see Stefan's lips moving, but couldn't hear a damn word he was saying over the sounds of heavy metal being blasted through his headphones. He ripped one from his ear. "What the hell are you doing here, brother?"

"I knew you'd be upset. Figured you'd head here," Stefan replied. He gestured behind Damon. "Want someone to hold the bag for you?"

Letting out a sly smirk and sizing up his much stringier brother, Damon stepped aside and let Stefan grab the punching bag with his hands. Once he was sure Stefan had a good grip on it, he let his fist slam into the leather with about half his usual effort. The power behind his punch had Stefan stumbling a little on his feet, but he squared himself back up and readied the bag for Damon's next jab.

Damon let out another punch and Stefan grunted a little to keep his footing. It was kind of a dick move to not hold his strength back a little more. Stefan wasn't as bulky as Alaric and even he had trouble steadying the punching bag for Damon sometimes. But there in that gym was about the only time that Damon felt he was superior to his successful, smart, more together little brother. Knocking him around a little wouldn't hurt him that bad.

"Want to talk about it?" Stefan asked through gritted teeth as Damon landed another punch on the bag. He was clearly trying to make an effort to reach out. This wasn't his kind of thing and yet here he was.

"Nope. Just want to hit stuff," Damon replied.

Stefan nodded and left it at that, letting Damon work out however much he could on the punching bag in between them. He never complained that Damon was punching too hard, never even asked for a break to get the feeling back in his hands.

Once he was satisfied and finally let the throbbing feeling seep into his injured hand, Damon took a couple steps back from the bag. He was panting and sweaty, thoroughly exhausted. He reached for his water bottle. Stefan finally dropped his arms from the bag, shaking them out a little. No doubt he'd be sore tomorrow.

"Well, I guess I should probably get out of here," Stefan said as he grabbed his car keys from a nearby bench. "Thanks for letting me hang out with you for a little bit."

Damon nodded at him, taking a big gulp of water as he did so. He watched Stefan turn to walk towards the front door of the large training gym. Damn Rose for making him feel guilty for how he treated his brother. He'd let his jealousy shut him out long enough. "Hey Stefan!" he called after him.

Stefan turned around, surprise evident on his face. "Yeah?"

"You want to grab a drink with me? I could use a bourbon."

"I don't know. It's still daylight," Stefan began to protest.

"Don't be such a square, little brother," he replied with a smile. "One drink."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting on neighboring barstools at Damon's favorite dive bar. Stefan looked nervous to be there, uncomfortable with the environment. Damon clapped a reassuring hand on his back. "Just don't ask for a fancy drink and you'll be just fine," he advised.

"Damon Salvatore, as I live and breathe. How come you didn't come visit me this weekend?" The flirty bartender greeted like an old friend.

"Oh you know, busy raising a little hell," he replied with a wink and then gestured to Stefan. "Sweet Bree, this is my baby brother, Stefan. He's joining me for an afternoon pick me up."

Bree threw a wink in Stefan's direction and Stefan, who likely hadn't been laid in years, didn't really know how to react. She pulled out a rocks glass for Damon and filled it halfway with a dark Kentucky bourbon. She slid it over in Damon's direction. "What can I get for you, cutie?" Bree asked Stefan.

"Uh, a vodka martini?" Stefan asked hesitantly.

"We don't do martinis here, honey," Bree responded with a light laugh and a shake of her head. "No olives, no martini glasses."

"He'll have the same as me," Damon cut in.

"Double Wild Turkey neat, coming right up." Bree took out a rocks glass and filled it before sliding it to Stefan. "Let me know if you boys need anything. Anything at all." Her eyes lingered on the two of them before she sauntered away to start putting away some glassware.

"Why do I get the feeling you've seen her naked before?" Stefan whispered to Damon.

Instead of answering, Damon raised his glass slightly. He gestured for Stefan to do the same. "To family," Damon said.

"To family," Stefan echoed, clinking their glasses together.

The liquor was smooth as it slid down Damon's throat, the right amount of oak flavor in the aftertaste. Stefan, not so much. He coughed a little as it went down.

"It tastes better the more you drink it."

"Sure it does," Stefan said, trying to regain his bearings.

After a couple minutes of silence between them, Damon slammed back the rest of his bourbon. "I really like her, Stef. I like her, I like her kid. And it's terrifying because I don't want to lose either of them, but I don't want to lose everything that I've worked so hard for over the past year either."

"You don't have to choose, Damon."

Bree popped over to refill Damon's glass with a smile and he tilted it up at her to say thank you. He took a deep breath and then another sip. "But I do. Klaus is basically asking me to throw the championship or else."

"Or else what?" Stefan asked, taking a timid sip from his own glass.

"Exactly. Elena's got a lot of people looking out for her and Addie. She's been on her own for a while so in a sense, they don't need me. I think I might need them though."

"Well, how does Elena feel about you throwing the fight?"

He let out a chuckle. "She basically implied that she'd kick my ass six ways to Sunday if I did."

"I like her. She's good for you," Stefan said, laughing a little himself and taking another sip from his glass. He noticed that he'd reached the bottom of it fairly quickly.

"Another one, sweet face?" Bree said, bottle in hand and ready to pour.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, actually. I'll have another."

* * *

 **A/N: Matt's cookout will be coming up next chapter and finally all of Elena's friends will get to meet Damon! Like I said in my earlier Author's Note, I am SWAMPED at work right now and that leaves me very little time to write. No promises on when the next chapter will be up, but I will do my best to make it worth the wait for all of you.**

 **You, my dear readers, deserve it.**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm off work for Memorial Day today, which lends time to catch up on the fics I'm reading AND to update this one!**

 **Ya'll. This story has surpassed 100 reviews. If I lived close to you folks, I'd be baking appreciation cookies for you.** **I'm amazed that I'm getting new readers and that so many of you who have been here since December are still sticking with me. Thank you so much!**

 **This chapter is a lot of things. There's some really awesome friendship and Addie moments, but I'll also say that if any of the mature scenes were too much for you before, maybe skip over that part? It's pretty vanilla, but it's also pretty steamy. (Like I had to ask myself a couple times if I was being too graphic.)**

* * *

Elena watched as Addie sprinted around the spacious backyard while being chased by her Uncle Matt. Her little legs were carrying her as fast as they possibly could and Matt was moving impossibly slow for a former high school quarterback. Despite both of these things, he quickly caught Addie and swung her around into the air. The action elicited a fit of giggles from the toddler, who was bundled up in mittens and a light pink coat.

"She's an angel, Elena. Honestly the best thing that ever happened to us," Bonnie said from beside her, watching the scene unfold in front of them.

Elena nodded in response, taking a sip of hot apple cider from her mug and flipping over the burgers on the grill.

It was a chilly Tuesday night, but that didn't impede on Matt's plans to have a cookout at his house. Tyler was working on getting a fire going for everyone to sit around, his new girlfriend wearing an outfit that left little to the imagination shivering beside of him as he did so. Caroline had concocted a batch of hot apple cider laced with a little Southern Comfort to keep the adults a little warmer. Elena chose to dip into the smaller alcohol-free batch that was set aside for Addie. She didn't want to drive home with Addie in the car after a night of drinking.

"How did we get stuck manning the grill?" Elena asked Bonnie, shaking her head a little. "This always happens."

Bonnie shrugged. "You make a mean hamburger."

Elena rolled her eyes just as Caroline slid the sliding door to the back deck closed. She stepped out onto the deck and rubbed her hands together for warmth. "I told him to at least wait until Sunday so we could do it in the daylight, but no. Matt said we had to all hang out tonight. Something about going stir crazy after having the flu."

Bonnie raised her mug of laced apple cider. "I can attest to that. Nothing worse than not being able to leave the couch for several days at a time without getting the spins."

"Keep chugging that stuff and you'll find out what the spins are all about," Elena playfully chastised her.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and took a defiantly large gulp from her cup. "So do we get to meet the boyfriend tonight or what?"

"Yeah," Caroline piped in. "He's bringing a hot friend, right?"

"He's definitely stopping by. He had late afternoon training today so I imagine he'll be here soon," Elena responded.

"And the hot, muscly, UFC fighter friend?" Caroline inquired.

"I am not your matchmaker, Care."

"You didn't even ask him?"

"I briefly mentioned my single and desperate friend," Elena chuckled.

Bonnie spit a little of her drink out in laughter.

"Both of you are the worst. I'm going to go play with Matt and Addie." Caroline traipsed down the stairs of the deck and across the lush grass of Matt's backyard. "Addie! I'm coming to rescue you!" she called out.

Elena's phone buzzed in her back pocket. "Hey Bonnie, can you watch the grill for a few minutes?" she asked as she fished it out of her jeans.

Bonnie took the spatula from Elena's hand and traded places with her. Elena glanced at the screen to see a text from Damon.

 _Right around the corner. Don't be alarmed when a vintage red Porsche drives up. Stefan insisted on driving his douchey car._

She giggled to herself and glanced over her shoulder to check on Addie. She was currently rolling around in a pile of leaves with Matt. They were throwing them at Caroline, who was trying to no avail to block herself. Elena sighed. Picking those leaves out of Addie's hair later was not something she was looking forward to, but least she was having a good time.

She opened the sliding door on Matt's deck and stepped into his warm house. The heat was blasting and it would have been comfortable if she wasn't wearing a fluffy scarf underneath her peacoat. She walked through the kitchen and into the living room before reaching the front door that would take her out to the driveway. She figured it'd be way less intimidating if she met Damon outside and escorted him in. He was in for quite the night with this rowdy bunch so she wanted to make him as comfortable as possible.

As the front door closed behind her and she started to readjust to the chill in the air, the aforementioned red Porsche crept along the road. She waved her hands to flag it down and it whipped into the long driveway behind her CRV. The passenger door opened and Damon's boot stepped out onto the pavement below. She heard his voice before she saw his face.

"Could you drive like any more of a grandpa? Honestly Stefan, why even have the damn car at all?" Damon grumbled.

Elena's eyes lit up when she saw his raven head of hair emerge from the car. "Hey, you," she breathed out, feeling like it had been months since she'd seen him when in reality it was just yesterday morning.

When he turned his attention to her, his entire expression changed. Despite the fact that he'd just had the allegorical shit kicked out of him during training and the frustratingly slow car ride over here, none of that mattered. As he looked at her, his smile started to spread as wide as hers. He slammed the car door and took purposeful steps to where she was standing at the top of the driveway. Once he enveloped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head, it was suddenly a good day.

"Fuck, I missed you," he crooned.

She let out a giggle in response. "I missed you too, but you're crushing me."

Damon loosened his grip a little and stepped back enough to look at her. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and started to pull in closer to deepen it. A clearing of the throat behind him killed any and all tingly feelings he was currently experiencing and instead, he snapped his head around to see Stefan standing there with his hands awkwardly shoved into his pockets.

"You know Caroline is going to eat him alive, right?" Elena whispered to him.

"You said she was desperate. Stefan hasn't been laid in a really long time. I thought it was a good match," Damon replied loud enough for him to hear.

"And suddenly I regret accepting your invitation," Stefan said, rocking back and forth on his heels. He turned his attention to Elena and gave her a small smile. "Good to see you again, Elena."

She returned his smile and took a couple steps towards him. She extended her arms out. "I let you get away with a handshake last time. I'm going to need a hug the second time around."

Stefan hesitantly reached out to hug her and Elena found that the gesture actually relaxed him after a couple of seconds.

"It's good to see you too, by the way," she replied as they pulled away. "You two are in for it. Just a fair warning."

Damon chuckled. "I get my ass kicked for a living and I think you briefly met our father. We'll be alright."

She opened the front door and they both followed her inside Matt's house. "Pretty much everyone is out in the backyard. I'm on burger duty, although they should be coming off the grill pretty soon." She gestured to a large pot on the stove. "Caroline heated some apple cider with Southern Comfort in it if you're feeling brave."

"Well it would be rude to turn down free alcohol," Damon said, making a bee line for the stove. He grabbed two mugs from the counter and filled them, handing one to Stefan then taking a sip from his own.

The three of them headed out onto the back deck and Elena shivered from the temperature change. Damon's arm went around her almost immediately, rubbing his hand up and down her arm as he hugged her close.

"I take it you're Damon? I'm Bonnie," Bonnie said to him, quirking an eyebrow in his direction.

"That I am. Nice to meet you," he said, tipping his head down in her direction. Between keeping Elena warm and holding his apple cider, he didn't have a free hand for a handshake.

Bonnie looked him up and down for a few moments, as if she was sizing him up and trying to make a decision about him. After a few seconds, she narrowed her eyes a little. "He'll do, Elena."

Elena let out a small laugh and whispered into Damon's ear. "That's as close of an approval as you'll probably get from Bonnie."

"Who's the other guy?" Bonnie asked him.

Damon turned to Stefan, who was standing next to him quietly sipping from his mug. "This is my baby brother, Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan extended a hand in Bonnie's direction and she shook it. "Nice to meet you, Bonnie," he said politely.

"Happy you're here," Bonnie replied before turning her attention back to the grill. She lifted the top of it and eyed the burgers. "Looks like we're about ready to eat. Elena, will you and Damon round up the rest of them? Stefan, help me set the table inside?"

Bonnie handed a plate to Stefan and he held it as she scooped the burgers onto it with a spatula.

"Not sure we should leave him alone so soon," Elena began to protest to Damon, but he tugged her down the steps of the deck and into the backyard.

"He'll be fine. If anything, he'll probably amuse her with embarrassing stories about me. I'm sure you'll get to hear all about my summer school hijinks," Damon reassured her with a wink. He set his mug down on the railing of the deck as they descended the steps.

"Friend Damon!" Addie greeted as she popped out of a large pile of leaves. Her dark curls were matted with bits of leaves and her cheeks were rosy red. She made a sprint towards him in excitement.

Damon let go of Elena long enough to kneel onto the ground. When Addie reached where he was, she launched herself into a hug, her little arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Hello, Princess Addie," he mumbled, acting as though she knocked the wind out of him with the force of her hug. In reality, she hadn't even knocked him off balance.

"Uncle Matt says we get to make s'mores after dinner! Will you help me?" Addie said as she pulled away.

Elena bent down and began fussing with her daughter's hair, trying to pick out the stray pieces of nature. "Adaline Grace Gilbert, your hair is a disaster."

Addie shrugged away from Elena. "Uncle Matt said you'd say that."

"Oh, he did?" Elena asked with raised eyebrows.

"For the record, I said we could make s'mores if you ate all your dinner," Matt said jogging up from the end of the backyard. He turned to Elena and shrugged. "She's a kid. Dirt happens."

"You're a bad uncle," she replied to him with a shake of her head. She pulled Damon to his feet and Addie took his hand as he stood up. "Damon, this is Matt."

Damon held out his free hand and Matt accepted it.

"She seems to be fond of you," Matt said, tipping his head towards Addie.

"I'm pretty fond of her too," Damon replied.

"Well, any friend of Addie's is a friend of mine. Isn't that right, Addie?" Matt cooed and it quickly became clear to Damon that Addie's approval was the ultimate in with this crowd.

"Are you guys coming to eat or what?" Bonnie called from the house, her head sticking out of a crack in the sliding glass doors. "Stefan's sharing embarrassing stories about Damon. You gotta hear 'em."

Caroline walked up, smoothing her hands over her clothes in an attempt to get rid of any stray leaves that had stuck on her sweater. "Stefan's the hot friend?" she said, barely acknowledging Matt, Elena, or Damon.

"I'm Damon, nice to meet you," he tried to say as the blonde whooshed past him.

"I'm aware!" she called back over her shoulder as she sped into the house.

"We better get inside before Stefan starts talking about my awkward ninth grade dance," Damon chuckled.

Elena reached out for Addie to pick her up, but she remained glued to Damon's side. "Suit yourself," she told her daughter. "But you still have to wash your hands before you eat."

"Uncle Matt said you'd say that too," Addie said with a giggle.

"Bad uncle," Elena chastised Matt, who was laughing with his hands up defensively in front of him.

The four of them walked back towards the house. Once they were inside, Elena took Addie to go wash her hands. She was nervous to leave the Salvatore brothers alone with her friends, but they seemed to be holding their own. Stefan and Bonnie had downed quite a bit of the laced apple cider and were bonding over how stubborn Damon and Elena could be. Matt seemed to be taking to Damon okay, even if she could see a little jealousy in his eyes at the way Addie leapt into Damon's arms. Matt was the closest thing Addie had ever had to a father figure so of course he felt threatened a little by Damon. Still, as she took Addie's hand and led her to the nearby bathroom to wash up, she felt like she could leave for five minutes without things imploding.

Damon looked around the kitchen, his mug now refreshed with some warm apple cider. The overt sweetness of the Southern Comfort wasn't something he particularly cared for. It definitely was not his favorite liquor, but he was making do with what he had at the moment. Matt was sipping on a beer and chatting with him about cars, something he was always down to talk about, when he glanced over at his poor brother.

The fiery little blonde, who he assumed must have been Caroline, was repeatedly poking Stefan in the center of his chest with her finger. He was too far away to decipher all of what she was saying, but it looked a little heated. "Excuse me for a second, Matt. I think I need to save my brother," Damon said politely. He took another sip from his mug and made the short walk to the other side of the room.

"You misogynistic piece of garbage!" Caroline sneered.

"Whoa, whoa, Blondie," Damon intervened.

"My name is Caroline," she gritted out at him.

"Blondie, whatever my brother here said or didn't say to offend you, I swear he didn't mean it. He hasn't been around a pretty girl in years," he tried to smooth over with her. "He doesn't know how to act."

The effort was entirely ineffective and Caroline crossed her arms, stomping off in the direction of where Matt and Bonnie were currently talking amongst themselves.

He turned to Stefan and tried to mumble as quietly as he could. "How'd you manage to fuck this one up?"

"She was disappointed that I wasn't a fighter and I just tried to justify what I do by saying that at I do a heck of a lot more for the league than the ring girls," Stefan shrugged, still unsure why that may have offended her.

Damon flicked Stefan on the forehead. "You idiot. She's a fucking ring girl, which automatically means she's way too hot for you. And you couldn't keep your smartypants know-it-all mouth shut long enough to just get laid."

"I didn't know!" Stefan protested.

"What's going on in here?" Elena strolled back into the kitchen, balancing Addie on her hip as she did so.

"Your boyfriend's brother is a moron. Here's hoping you ended up with the smarter of the two," Caroline said as she set a plate of burger toppings in the center of the kitchen table.

"Caroline, I'm sorry," Stefan apologized. "I didn't know."

"Momma, I'm hungry!" Addie piped up.

Choosing to let whatever situation was happening diffuse a little on its own, Elena turned her head to Addie. "Well then, let's get you set up with a burger."

She cut Addie's cheeseburger into quarters, making it a little more manageable for her to eat. Deciding she was already messy enough, she left any and all condiments that might splash out off of it. Once it was ready, she set Addie's plate in front of her and then started to make her own. Everyone else was just kind of awkwardly standing in the kitchen, unsure what to do.

"Are you going to watch us eat or join us, creepers?" Elena joked, which seemed to break the tension at least temporarily.

Everyone took a seat at the table and started to build their own burgers. Damon nestled in close to Elena, his arm brushing against hers as he reached for the ketchup in the center of the table. She pretended not to be affected by his touch, sitting there with her daughter on the other side of her and her friends surrounding them at the table, but it gave her goosebumps.

Tyler, who had been solely focused on getting a huge fire going finally slipped inside just as everyone was settling in at the table. His new girlfriend, whose name Elena could not remember to save her life, was close by his side. The motherly nature in Elena made her want to offer the poor girl a coat. She looked absolutely freezing.

"You could have at least grabbed us," Tyler grumbled.

"I yelled for everyone to come in," Bonnie said, her mouth full of food.

"Momma says not to talk with your mouth full, Aunt Bonnie," Addie teased her. She was met with a chipmunk smile from Bonnie, who then closed her mouth and continued to chew.

"You have very good manners," Damon told Addie.

"Thank you, Friend Damon," she replied as she picked up a piece of her food. "Momma, how much do I have to eat so I can have s'mores?"

"Um, how about at least these two pieces here?" Elena bargained. "What do you say Damon? That seems fair, right?"

He nodded his head in agreement with Elena.

"Anybody need a drink?" Tyler shouted from the other side of the kitchen. "Don't ask me once I get comfortable at the table."

Caroline lifted her mug and shook it a little. "I'll take a refill."

"Anyone? Anyone at all?" Tyler continued, ignoring Caroline because he knew it would elicit a hilarious reaction.

"Me!" Caroline said, a little louder this time.

"Guess not," Tyler shrugged. He handed a full mug to his girlfriend and the both of them joined the group at the table.

Caroline huffed a little and stood up to go refill her own mug. Stefan practically jumped from his chair across the table and reached for her cup. "Allow me, Caroline," he said, letting his hand linger a little too long on hers before he took the mug from her.

She let a small smile escape, but quickly covered it up with an apathetic nod. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he replied with a nod.

"So Damon, you're into cars and shit too?" Tyler asked, digging into his burger.

Elena's hands flew over to cover Addie's ears. "Language!" she chastised Tyler, gesturing at her daughter with her eyes.

"Shit, sorry," Tyler apologized. "I mean, sorry."

Addie let out a giggle as Elena uncovered her ears. "Uncle Tyler said a grown-up word," she pointed out.

"Yes, he did. A word that children don't get to use until they're much older," Elena confirmed.

"It's okay, Uncle Tyler," Addie shrugged. "You're old enough to say it."

Damon literally could have sworn that his heart melted right then and there because of that little girl. She was too adorable for her own good and it was clear how she had so easily captured the hearts of the majority of people sitting around the table.

He cleared his throat, took a sip from his mug, and answered Tyler's original question. "I'm not nearly as talented as Elena. Probably not as talented as you and Matt either, but I dabble."

"He rebuilt his Camaro. It was basically a shell when he got it," Elena said, rolling her eyes and bragging on his behalf. "If he didn't already have that crazy fighting career, I'd hire him."

Tyler nodded. "Cool deal. I'm working on a Mustang in my spare time. She's rough around the edges, but she'll be something special when I'm done."

"You mean that hunk of junk that's been sitting up on blocks in your backyard for two years?" Caroline teased, taking her full mug from Stefan's hands. She nodded a silent thank you to him for the refill.

"It's a long-term project," Tyler shot back, narrowing his eyes at her.

His girlfriend started to squirm a little in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the confrontational pseudo-friendship Caroline and Tyler had formed. The people that knew them well enough knew that the teasing and the banter were normal, expected even. Oddly enough, Damon and Stefan seemed to understand the dynamic right away as well, mostly because it reminded them of a sibling type rivalry.

"I've actually got to get going," the girl said quietly. "Tyler, would you walk me out?"

"You're not staying for s'mores?" Addie asked. "I ate enough so we get to have them."

She didn't reply, instead standing to her feet. "Thanks for the hospitality, everyone."

"Bye, Kathy," Caroline said with a wave.

"It's Katie," she corrected.

"Like it matters," Caroline said under her breath, but Elena heard her.

"Bonnie, will you elbow Caroline in the ribs for me?" she asked her friend. "I can't reach from all the way over here."

They barely heard the sound of the front door shut over Caroline's shriek as Bonnie's elbow collided with her ribs.

* * *

With fresh refills of apple cider, Elena and Addie's without alcohol obviously, the rest of them gathered outside around the fire that Tyler had built. Elena sat in one of Matt's lawn chairs, Addie sat covered in a blanket on Elena's lap, and Damon stood next to them. Caroline and Stefan were quietly talking to themselves, as he attempted to load her stick with marshmallows to toast over the fire. Despite a less than ideal first conversation, they seemed to be hitting it off now. Bonnie and Matt were relaxing in neighboring lawn chairs, each perfectly content skipping dessert and consuming more alcohol instead.

Tyler sulked down the steps from the deck and up to the circle surrounding the fire. "Well, I hope you're happy. You guys scared off another one," he said.

"Not everyone can appreciate our brand of humor," Bonnie said coolly, leaning her head back against her chair and closing her eyes.

"Sorry, Ty. Better luck next time," Matt said, raising his cup in a cheers gesture.

"You guys aren't that scary," Damon said.

Elena looked up at him. "Don't challenge them," she playfully warned.

"Momma, can we make s'mores now? Aunt Caroline is already eating hers," Addie whined, her eyes already getting a little droopy. It was past her normal bedtime already. "Friend Damon, will you help?"

"Sure honey," Elena nodded.

"I'll go steal us some supplies, Princess," Damon said. He walked over to where Caroline and his brother were canoodling in the corner and snatched the bag of jumbo marshmallows out of Stefan's hand and had he not been making googley eyes at Caroline as a little bit of melted chocolate dripped from her mouth, he would have noticed.

He found a perfect stick for roasting and broke off any twigs that might get in the way then stuck a couple marshmallows on the end of it. Then he grabbed a couple graham crackers and some chocolate. He strode back over to where Elena was sitting and Addie slid off of her mother's lap. She reached for the stick from Damon and he kept a firm grip on it as well while they inched closer to the fire.

"See, the trick to s'mores is that we don't want to catch the marshmallow on fire. We just want it crisp up, got it?" he asked and was rewarded with an enthusiastic nod from the toddler. "Good. Now, just a bit lower." He steered the marshmallows a little closer to the fire.

Elena looked on at the two of them in awe. If Damon was at all uncomfortable around kids, he'd never shown it. In fact, he seemed to embrace Addie immediately and it put her at ease to know that she was dating someone who cared for her not in spite of her daughter, but in addition to her daughter. Damon treated Addie with the same care and concern that any of her aunts and uncles did. She watched as he helped her assemble the messy treat, blowing a little on the marshmallow so it wouldn't burn her mouth. He handed it to her and she took a big bite out of it, chocolate dripping all over her fingers as she did so.

"I'm going to go grab some napkins from inside," Elena said, standing from her lawn chair. "Looks like we're going to need them. Once we get you cleaned up, we should get you home."

"Thanks, Momma!"

Once Elena's figure disappeared inside of the house, Addie turned to Damon. "So you're Momma's boyfriend?" she asked him, licking the chocolate from her fingers.

Damon nodded. "If that's okay with you, Princess."

"Do you have cooties?" she asked him.

It took every ounce of resistance Damon had to not burst out laughing at the question, but he managed to keep as straight of a face as possible. "Nope. I gave them all to Stefan over there," he said, hooking a finger over his shoulder to gesture to his brother.

"Aunt Caroline! Don't kiss him! He has cooties!" Addie yelled out.

After that, he couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. Damon lost all composure and a boisterous laugh came out, the kind of laugh that makes you short of breath. He held onto his stomach as he gasped for air in between chortles. He turned around to see a rather mortified Stefan, embarrassed that he'd been called out by a three year-old.

"Friend Damon, if you don't have cooties, it's okay with me if you kiss Momma," Addie said sincerely.

That was enough to get his laughter to stop. Damon planted a kiss on Addie's forehead. "Thank you."

When he looked up to see that Elena was back with some napkins, baby wipes, and her purse, he tried not to make a big deal out of what Addie said. That didn't mean that he didn't understand just exactly how much of a big deal it actually was.

"Alright," Elena said, armed with the necessary stuff to make Addie as un-sticky as possible. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Addie took a couple steps forward to Elena, her dirty hands extended out in front of her. Elena wiped at each of them and took on the daunting task of trying to clean up her perpetually adventurous and rowdy child.

Caroline swatted her hand against Bonnie's shoulder, waking her up from her Southern Comfort induced nap. "Hey! You're my ride!"

Bonnie swatted back at her. "We're staying here," she weakly mumbled before falling back asleep.

"I am not staying here. Matt's couch sucks to sleep on," Caroline groaned to her friend, who was way too passed out at this point to hear her.

Stefan was only a few paces behind her. "I'd be happy to drop you off on my way home," he offered.

"Oh that's okay, Stefan. It's not exactly on your way. I can take her home," Elena offered.

Damon gave her a look that was basically pleading with her to let this play out. "He doesn't mind. Do you, Stefan?"

"I really don't. That is, if you're okay riding with me?" Stefan added in.

"You're not a serial killer, right? You're not going to rip my head off?" Caroline asked him, her hands planted on her hips.

"No ripping happening over here," Stefan said with a laugh. "I swear."

"Well since the Porsche is a two-seater, looks like I'm coming home with my two ladies," Damon smirked.

"Sleepover!" Addie said, jumping up and down.

"You are getting a bath and then going straight to bed when we get home," Elena said sternly. "It's past ten already."

Addie stuck out her bottom lip, but she didn't argue. "Fine."

"I'll see your hungover butts at work bright and early!" Elena called out to Bonnie and Matt as she, Addie, and Damon got ready to leave. "Don't sleep out here all night. You'll freeze to death."

"Yes, mom," Matt grumbled, shifting himself in the chair. He tapped Bonnie on the shoulder and she started to get up out of her chair.

"Ugh," Bonnie groaned. "Looking forward to it."

* * *

Elena plopped herself down onto the couch and let out a huge yawn. "Well, after the bathtub battle of the year to get all the leaves out of her hair, two read-throughs of _Goodnight Moon_ , and a promise of the good cereal in the morning, she finally passed out."

"She's got a lot of energy," Damon chuckled. "She takes after you."

"Oh, I know. I consider it karma for all the years that I drove my parents crazy." Elena let her head fall back against the plush couch and her eyelids were heavy. It was way past Addie's usual bedtime and it was actually kind of after hers as well. She wanted to beat everyone else into the garage in the morning, eager to get herself under the hood of a car before the sun had a chance to say hello to the day. "I'm exhausted," she breathed out as her eyelids closed.

"You're beautiful," Damon countered.

"I smell like campfire," Elena laughed quietly, opening her eyes and letting her head fall over to look at Damon.

He grabbed her hand tenderly, his thumb rubbing small circles over her skin. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"For what?"

"For giving me a chance, for letting me meet Addie, for letting me meet your friends and family. I know it's not easy for you to let me in, but you're doing it." Damon kissed her, breathing in the scent of campfire. He'd been dying to kiss her again since the last time their lips parted ways.

The sensation of his lips pressed against hers overrode any sense of exhaustion and Elena found herself frantically climbing into his lap, her legs straddling him on the couch. She hung her arms around his neck, pulling him closer for a deeper and more intense kiss. It didn't take long before she was grinding her hips into his. Her need for him felt insatiable, but if there was a way to placate her hunger, Damon was sure willing to try it.

He slid his hands up her back, underneath her sweater, so that he could feel the warmth of her skin against his palms. The taste of apple cider still lingered on his tongue and she gladly let the soft burn of Southern Comfort pass from his mouth to hers. It was enough to make her whimper as his fingers deftly explored her spine, then her ribcage.

Elena pulled away only for a second, just long enough to shrug off the heavy sweater that was impeding Damon from touching her further. She launched herself back at him and he gladly resumed his explorations, letting his hands lightly trail up to the clasp of her bra and unhooking it with a little bit of finesse. Her bra straps fell from her shoulders and she carelessly tossed the piece of clothing across the living room.

"We should go to the bedroom," she whispered, her lips pressed against Damon's.

With a nod, Damon's hands slid underneath her thighs and he lifted her up effortlessly. She locked her legs around his waist and he took quiet steps down the hallway to her dark bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind him, reaching for the light switch as soon as it clicked.

She pulled away from him long enough to give an uncomfortable look. "Could we leave them off?" she asked.

"Why?" He chuckled. "Am I that repulsive?"

He loosened his grip around her and set her feet down to touch the floor. Elena insecurely and subconsciously covered up her breasts and stomach with her arms, feeling suddenly so exposed in the harsh overhead light.

"It's just that we haven't really been this up close and personal in this harsh of lighting," she explained. "I had a baby. I don't exactly look like a supermodel."

Damon's hands flew to grip her waist, a smile spreading on his lips. "You're kidding me, right?"

She shook her head no to tell him that no, in fact she was not at all kidding.

"Wow, really?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Everything about her body drove him insane, from the tone of her olive skin to her doe eyes to her plump pink lips to the curve of her hips and full thighs. It was hard to stop himself from taking her right then and there, the hedonist inside of him screaming to bend her over that bed and pound into her from behind. He swallowed that down and instead tried to use his words instead.

"I don't know how no one has ever told you this before, but you're a fucking knockout," he explained the best he could. "I'd be lucky to get to see you in such good lighting."

After a very hesitant pause, she smiled and dropped her arms, barring her chest and stomach to him in all its glory. There was no dim lighting to shield her and although it made her nervous, there was something slightly empowering about it as she raised her chin in the air and stood there with nothing to hide.

She waited a few moments, letting a slack jawed Damon sear her under his gaze, before she let out a carefree laugh. "Well, are you going to just look or do you want to touch too?" she teased him.

"Oh, I very much want to touch," Damon nodded, picking his jaw up off the floor and taking the short steps to where she stood.

He brushed her hair gently behind her shoulder and bent down to latch his mouth onto her neck, nibbling and sucking on the sweet spot he'd discovered she loved so much. He knew if he kept on, she'd melt in his arms. In fact, he was counting on it.

Elena's legs buckled beneath her and she ripped herself away from him long enough to discard herself of her jeans and crawl on top of her bed. She needed to feel him on top of her.

Like a tiger stalking its prey, Damon watched her intently as she undressed herself and scurried onto the bed. He admired the way he pert little ass wiggled from side to side as she did so and soon his feet were carrying him to her, his hands reaching out to touch her newly exposed skin.

"You are literally not naked enough," Elena said as she reached for the hem of his shirt and started to pull it over his head. Once it was out of the way, she let her fingers ripple themselves over his abs before gliding up to the taut skin on his biceps. He instinctively flexed a little under her touch and the motion made her wet between her thighs.

Damon let his hands do their own exploration, gently touching her thighs, his hands dancing closer and closer to their apex. She impatiently ground herself against his hand and he discovered that she'd soaked through the thin cotton of her underwear, all because of the way he touched her. And that was his undoing. That was the moment that he couldn't hold himself back anymore. He let one hand grip the side of her panties and he pulled them hard, the sound of fabric ripping slicing through the silence in the air.

A little more roughly than he'd ever been with her before, Damon tossed Elena onto her back and dove his head between her legs. He let one finger slip inside of her, pumping in and out as his tongue flicked over her sensitive nub. He was relentless in his assault, determined to make her come harder than anyone ever had before. As her hips rose to meet him and her breathing became more and more labored, he knew he close to achieving just that.

Then she rewarded him. Her fingers flew to his hair, gripping into his raven locks as her hips rolled and she quietly moaned his name while she came undone. She came so hard that it left her with shaky legs, struggling to breathe, struggling to remember where she was or even her own name.

"Holy shit, you're good at that," she said, letting her head collapse onto the bed and her eyes flutter shut for a moment. Her body was still feeling the tingles many minutes afterwards.

He was content to let her bask in the afterglow for those few minutes, happy to let her enjoy the pleasure that he'd given her. Despite the fact that he was straining uncomfortably in his jeans, he tried his best to reign the hedonist back in long enough to let her come back down. So he shifted himself to lay beside of her naked body, aching to touch her again but waiting until she was ready.

Just when he thought she may have fallen asleep and resigned himself to the fact that he'd probably have to wait to relieve himself tomorrow, her eyes opened and she reached for the belt buckle on his jeans. Her hand just barely grazed over his bulge and even the slightest bit of friction over two layers of fabric was enough to make him hiss.

"I owe you," Elena said with a smile as she sat up and pulled Damon's jeans off of him. "You just lay back and relax," she commanded, placing a hand on his chest to let him know that he wasn't supposed to sit up.

Her hand brushed against him again, this time only through the fabric of his boxers, and his hips lifted on their own accord. Elena took her other hand and placed it on one of his hipbones, pushing him back into the mattress beneath him.

"No moving," she told him, all signs of playfulness gone.

Damon took his hands and laced them behind his head, deciding that as fun as it was being in charge of making Elena feel good, it was just as fun to watch her dominant him for a few minutes. The petite girl hovered herself over him, each leg on either side of his as she straddled him. She gently stroked him through the soft fabric, teasingly, almost torturously. He did his best to keep still like she'd told him to.

After a few minutes she slid off of him long enough to help him out of his boxers and he sighed at the relief as his erection sprang free, shiny beads of liquid escaping from the tip. She licked her lips, excited that she was finally getting the chance to feel him inside of her mouth. Elena stuck her tongue out slightly, letting it swipe at the tip slowly.

"Oh, fuck," Damon groaned under his breath, his eyes closing shut tightly. If he had any hope of staying still, he couldn't watch. The sight mixed with the sensation had him already wanting to plow into her.

She took him in her mouth, a little more at a time, giving herself a chance to accommodate his large size. Once she felt comfortable, she began sucking, licking, swirling her tongue in ways that made him moan. She took her hand and wrapped it at the base, guiding it up and down his length along with her mouth. The faster she went, the harder Damon panted, the harder he panted, the wetter she became between her legs.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he reached down and wrapped a hand around her wrist. "Elena, I'm not ready to come yet," he begged. "Please let me come inside of you."

Elena gave in to his requests, pulling away from his throbbing member, her lips red and swollen from all of her efforts. She found that she herself was panting just as hard as he was, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

Damon fumbled around for his jeans on the floor, rummaging through his back pocket for a condom. He silently thanked whatever higher power was up there for remembering to grab one before he left. He ripped it open, rolled it on, and before he had a chance to position Elena how he'd imagined her for the past twenty or so minutes, she was pushing him onto his back and straddling him again.

She eased herself down on top of him, letting him fill her, letting him complete her. Then she placed her hands on his sculpted chest and lifted her hips up a little and then back down. She lifted up again and then back down. Damon's hand reached out to rub her bundle of nerves with his thumb as she did so and the extra sensation seemed to intensify the entire experience for her. Elena threw her head back and increased the speed of her motions, sensing that a second orgasm was already so near for her.

His mind was racing with a thousand different things to say to her. Maybe he could utter something dirty to push her just a little more over the edge or shower her with a string of compliments about how much of a fucking goddess she was. He could have said anything, but in that moment he only wanted to say one thing. He was falling for her and even if he crashed and burned, he didn't give a damn about stopping it.

As she clenched around him, her orgasm grabbing hold and slowing down her movements, Damon took it upon himself to shut the fuck up, grab her hips, and plunge himself deeply into her until he came right along with her.

When she collapsed on top of him, their chests heaving in time together, there was no question about it. That was the best sex he'd ever had.

* * *

Damon's alarm went off at an ungodly early hour and he had half a mind to throw the phone across the space of Elena's bedroom to get it to stop. Since he couldn't afford to be late for training, he grabbed it and jabbed his finger at the screen to silence it instead. He rolled over to find that Elena was already awake and out of bed.

He shuffled his way into the bathroom, doing his best to tame his haphazard hair, which was suffering from the after effects of Elena clawing her way through it last night. He smirked at himself in the mirror. Well worth it.

God, what he wouldn't give to brush his teeth though. The aftertaste of Southern Comfort lingered on his breath. He opened the medicine cabinet in search of a spare toothbrush, but no such luck. He settled instead for some toothpaste dabbed onto his finger. Woefully unsatisfying, but better than nothing.

He went about collecting his scattered clothes from around Elena's bedroom, putting on each article of clothing as he found it on the floor. When he opened the bedroom door, the sound of little feet pattering across the kitchen tiles echoed through the house.

"Addie! We're going to be late! Let me brush your hair!" Elena called out, seemingly frustrated. "Momma has to get work!"

"You gotta catch me, Momma!" Addie called back, her voice full of laughter at the game she thought they were playing.

Damon walked into the kitchen to see Elena chasing Addie around the kitchen table in circles with a hairbrush in her hand. When Elena would get remotely close to catching her daughter, Addie would dive herself underneath the kitchen table and escape to the other side. He cleared his throat to make his presence known.

Addie looked up at him and a smile ran across her face. "Friend Damon! You're awake! Momma said I have to go to Aunt Caroline's today instead of Grandma and Grandpa's, but can I just stay here with you?"

The distraction left Addie still long enough for Elena to get her arms wrapped around the toddler. She sat her in a kitchen table chair and started to run a brush through her hair. "Sweetheart, Damon has to work today too. He can't stay here with you."

"She could hang with me today at the gym. Ric likes kids," Damon offered with a shrug. He walked over to the coffee pot and poured a cup for himself. "That is, if it's okay with you."

Elena thought about it. She was particularly picky about who she left Addie with and even though Damon had been wonderful with her so far, she wasn't sure if leaving Addie in his care alone for an entire day was a good idea. Besides, a MMA gym was hardly the place for a three-year-old.

"Momma, please! Please!" Addie pled as Elena shaped her hair up into pigtails on top of her head. "I'll behave. I promise!"

She took a deep breath and looked over at Damon, who was sipping his way through a mug of black coffee. "If you're sure."

"Positive."

"Alright," she gave in. "So I'll drop you both off at your apartment on my way to my work. I'll leave the car seat for you. It has to go in the back of the Camaro and you need to double check that she's buckled before you start the car. She's had breakfast, but she'll need lunch around noon. I can pack a sandwich and some fruit for her. And you have to promise to call me if she gets so much as a scratch on her."

Damon let out a chuckle. "Relax, Elena. We're going to have an awesome day, right Princess Addie?"

Addie jumped down from the kitchen chair and scampered over to Damon. He bent down to pick her up.

"Momma, we're gonna to have fun. Don't worry about us!" Addie said with a smile as she gazed adoringly at Damon.

* * *

 **A/N: Want to know a secret? I started writing what will probably be the epilogue for The Octagon! That doesn't mean we are anywhere close to done with this story. I've got a lot of ground still to cover and I am most certainly not done with these characters yet. Still, writing that epilogue gave me .FEELS.**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Wow! I'm so thankful for all of your feedback. Seriously. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.**

 **This chapter is a doozy. Dive on in.**

* * *

Elena's hands had a death grip on the steering wheel as she pulled into Gilbert's Garage. She'd obsessively gone over every single possible bad scenario with Damon as she stood in the living room of his apartment. He practically had to push her out the door, all the while reassuring her that he was perfectly capable of making sure Addie was okay. And in her heart of hearts, she knew Damon was more than capable. She knew he'd do whatever it took to keep Addie safe and happy, but that didn't stop her mom instincts from going haywire as she drove away from them and towards work.

She let her boots shuffle across the concrete of the parking lot as she checked her cell phone to make sure she didn't miss any calls or texts from Damon while she was driving. She tried to put her mind at ease by thinking that no news was good news. Once she had the office unlocked and all the lights turned on, she cranked up some music and settled herself underneath the hood of a Nissan Xterra. It wasn't a complicated repair, just replacing a shotty radiator, but it did the trick to calm her racing mind.

"Boss!" Matt jovially called as he walked into the garage.

She stood up and looked him over. "You're awfully chipper for someone who drank their weight in Southern Comfort last night," Elena remarked.

"I think I absorbed his hangover," Bonnie groaned, her eyes covered with sunglasses, even though the sun had just begun to peak up over the horizon. "My head is going to explode. I just know it."

"You big baby. I'll get some coffee going," Matt said. He patted Bonnie roughly on the back and she grabbed at her head in pain in response.

"Good to have you back, Bonnie. The front desk missed you," Elena teased, wiping her hands on her jeans to get rid of some of the engine grease.

"Glad to be back on this beautiful Wednesday morning!" Bonnie sarcastically jabbed back.

"I hate my friends," Tyler grumbled as he shuffled into the garage. "Katie isn't answering any of my calls or texts. Thanks a lot, guys."

Elena raised her hands in defense. "Don't look at me. No one had a problem with my date. Maybe you just picked the wrong person to bring over."

"I actually know a girl who would be perfect for you," Bonnie said, sliding her sunglasses down her nose a couple of inches. "She goes to my gym. I'll set you up."

"A blind date? I think I'm a little above that," Tyler said, awkwardly chuckling.

"We're setting Tyler up?" Matt walked in from the front office, his timing impeccable. He handed a Styrofoam cup of steaming coffee to Bonnie. "I know someone too!"

"No way! I'm just going to be rocking the single life for a little while."

"Well get your single ass underneath that Dodge over there, will you?" Matt said, pointing to a Durango that was raised in the air. "I need your help with that one."

The two guys made their way over to the neighboring bay and promptly started bickering about how to get started, which left Elena and Bonnie alone and out of earshot.

"So…" Bonnie started.

"So…" Elena replied.

Bonnie snatched her glasses off of her face and looked over to Elena. "Are we going to talk about how hot your boyfriend is?"

That elicited a chuckle from Elena, who diverted the majority of her attention back under the hood of the Xterra. "He's babysitting today."

"He's babysitting Addie? You mean to tell me you left your child in the care of someone who wasn't your parents, your brother, or one of us?" Bonnie responded, skeptically.

"Yep."

"And you're not at all freaking out right now?"

"Oh, I totally am. I'm just burying all of that down deep. Addie loves Damon and he's more responsible than I think I give him credit for." She grunted a little as she removed the air conditioner condenser with her favorite wrench.

Elena felt a pair of dainty arms wrap around her waist from behind and Bonnie pressed her face into Elena's back. "I am so incredibly proud of you," she breathed out. "You're opening up."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Elena said, shrugging Bonnie off of her. "Stop with the mushy stuff and get to work!"

She heard the door leading to the waiting room click close and once Bonnie was gone, Elena tried not to let her mind wander too much. She thought about calling to check in on them already, but she really was trying her best to trust Damon so as she wiped her hands free of dirt, she took out her phone and called Caroline instead.

"I got your text. Thanks for letting me off the hook on babysitting today," Caroline greeted, her voice tired yet jovial. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Thank Damon. He volunteered to watch her."

"He what?" Caroline shrieked through the phone. "Stefan, how much experience does your brother have with children?"

"Stefan's there?" Elena questioned curiously. "Still?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Caroline mumbled. "He's here. We're having breakfast."

"Didn't think the poor guy had it in him," Elena muttered softly to herself.

"You're on speakerphone, by the way," Stefan interjected, clearing his throat and laughing.

Elena's cheeks turned a little pink as she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Stefan."

"Turns out Stefan is perfectly capable of handling me," Caroline defended.

"Overshare, Care. Overshare."

"Oh like I don't know all about you and Damon's trysts!" she replied.

"And now I'm uncomfortable," Stefan said. "Hearing about Damon's trysts? Not on my to-do list today. One thing that is on my to-do list, however," his voice trailed off.

"Gotta go, Elena! Have a good day! Talk to you later!" Caroline abruptly ended the phone call and Elena pulled the phone away from her ear with a look of shock on her face.

Apparently the Salvatore men had more in common than she thought.

* * *

Hand clasped tightly around Addie's, Damon strolled through the parking lot towards his training gym. He had Addie in one hand and her princess backpack in the other. His own gym bag was slung over his shoulder haphazardly. To put it quite simply, he more than had his hands full.

"Friend Damon, can you carry me?" Addie said, looking up at him with those set of eyes that could melt even the coldest heart into a puddle of mush.

He reached down to pick her up, while delicately balancing the two bags he was carrying, and she quickly settled her head against his chest. Apparently she was still quite tired because in the short span of time that it took them to get to the front door of the gym, her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly agape. She'd fallen asleep right there on him.

He pushed the front door open with his foot, careful to slip inside without banging Addie's head against the door or anything. He couldn't even imagine what would happen if he returned her to Elena with a bump on her head. That would be the last time she'd trust Damon to watch over Addie unsupervised and it would probably break his heart.

Alaric approached with a very confused look on his face. He pointed at Addie in Damon's arms and mouthed a quick "What the fuck?" to him.

Damon nodded over to the gym mats, silently asking Alaric to unfold and stack a couple. It wasn't exactly a bed, but it'd do for a nap. He gently laid Addie down onto the mats, grabbing a sweatshirt from his bag and resting it underneath her head. He dug through her princess backpack for the blanket that Elena insisted her daughter couldn't function without and covered her from her toes to her shoulders with it. Addie stirred a little, but very quickly settled into her makeshift bed.

"What the fuck?" Alaric sound aloud this time, whispering it into Damon's ear. "You're on babysitting duty?"

"I volunteered," Damon replied. "Elena's parents weren't available today. You'll like her, Ric. She's a badass little kid."

Alaric took a breath in and gave a small nod of acceptance. "Let's get started with your warm-up before Sleeping Beauty wakes up. Then she can help me kick your ass."

"Aye, aye captain." Damon gave Alaric a mocking salute, gave one last glance to Addie sleeping soundly, and then started off on a light jog around the perimeter of the gym. It wasn't anything intense, just something to get his heart rate going and wake his joints up. He'd learned rather quickly after Vegas that he had to ease into his workouts now.

A half hour later, Alaric had Damon doing box jumps. A lot of fucking box jumps. Sweat dripped down his nose as he launched himself from the ground onto the elevated platform for what seemed like the hundredth time. He hopped back down to the ground with ease, ready to lay down on the floor. Addie had the right idea.

"Another set of twenty, D," Alaric commanded.

Damon twisted his head over to look at his best friend and slave driving trainer. "You're out of your damn mind," he grumbled, trying to catch his breath. If he wasn't breathing so hard, he might have cared about the fact that his quads were burning. "Are you on drugs? Or you're torturing me because you need to get laid, is that it?"

"You can complain, but that isn't going to make those twenty box jumps happen all on their own," Alaric said with a low chuckle. "Show me how a UFC champ does it."

That last little line was all the motivation Damon needed. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, threw his arms back and jumped onto the box with a look of determination on his face. He was a champion and he could do this.

"Nineteen more to go," Alaric said.

"Let's make it twenty-nine more," Damon added as he hopped back to the ground and readied himself again. "Piece of cake."

By the time Addie woke up from her nap, it was almost noon. Apparently keeping her up late last night had really messed with her sleeping schedule. No wonder Elena was insistent on having her fall asleep as soon as they got back to her house last night. The poor kid still looked tired.

Damon reached into the bag Elena had packed and grabbed Addie's PB&J out of it. His mouth watered as he looked at the bread. He eyed his lunch sitting on a nearby bench, a double protein shake, steamed broccoli, and grilled chicken breast, with disappointment. Training diets were the fucking worst. The things he went through just to keep in his weight class.

"Thank you, Friend Damon," Addie smiled at him as he opened the sandwich bag and handed it over to her. She pulled half of the sandwich out and shoved a large portion of it into her tiny mouth then turned to look at Alaric. "So you're gonna make Friend Damon really strong?" she asked him, her mouth full of food.

"Swallow your food first, Princess," Damon encouraged, as he took a nibble of his sad chicken.

She gulped it down and sipped from her juice box. "Sorry."

"I didn't mind," Alaric chimed in. "Manners are overrated."

"Momma says that manners matter," Addie quoted.

"Don't listen to him," Damon said, nudging Alaric in the ribs. "Your mom is right."

"Well to answer your question, Miss Addie, I'm going to make Damon super strong and you get to help me," Alaric replied.

A huge smile spread over Addie's face. "Really? How?"

"Whatever I make Damon do this afternoon, he has to do it while carrying you."

She giggled loudly. "Really?"

Alaric nodded. "Really."

"Oh great," Damon said, choking down his protein shake. "I can't wait to see what sort of torture you've got planned." He pulled his phone out of his gym bag and checked to see he'd missed a call from Elena, no doubt checking up on how Addie was doing. "I'll be right back," he said as he stood up and stepped out of earshot of Addie and Alaric.

Once he was a safe distance away, he called Elena back. It rang a couple of times before she picked up.

"How's my little angel?" she asked, not even bothering with the standard greeting.

"I'm fine," Damon said with a smirk. "Addie's doing well too, in case you were wondering."

"Oh stop it," she laughed. "Seriously, everything going smoothly?"

He glanced over his shoulder to double check. Addie was sipping from her juice box, excitedly chatting with Alaric about whatever her three year old mind was fixated on at the moment. Alaric was sitting there, nodding and trying his best to follow along as words escaped from her mouth faster than the Camaro had ever traveled.

"We're good," he said, turning back around. "She slept most of the morning and now we're having lunch. Alaric's excited to unleash a new training regimen in which I carry Addie around all afternoon while doing reps."

"Sounds exciting."

Damon chuckled. "For anyone who isn't me."

He heard a loud clang in the background through the phone and then Matt's voice yelling Elena's name. "Sounds like I'm needed," Elena sighed. "Give her a hug for me?"

"Of course," Damon replied, nodding his head even though she couldn't see him. "Have a good afternoon, gorgeous."

He pulled the phone away from his ear and turned his attention around to Addie and Alaric. Alaric had Addie hoisted up into the air, swinging her around in circles as her giggles filled the air. Damon wasn't bluffing when he told Elena that Alaric loved kids. He really did need to go ahead and settle down with someone. If he were being completely honest, a part of him felt like Alaric never really dated anyone because he was so focused on training him. It made him feel kind of guilty, like a little bit of a burden to his best friend.

"Alright, Addie you like piggy back rides, right?" Alaric said as he set her feet to the ground.

She nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Perfect." He turned his attention to Damon. "D, we're starting with thirty-five front lunges on each leg. Addie gets to hang onto your back like a monkey."

Damon shot a glare at Alaric, who was going to enjoy this way too much. He offered a hand to Addie. "Well Princess Addie, climb on up." Once he had her hand in his, he lifted her onto his back with ease. She didn't weigh much, thankfully. Addie snuggled her head against the spot between Damon's shoulder blades and looped her arms around his neck to hang on. He held onto her legs for extra support.

"And one," Alaric counted as Damon extended his right leg out in front of him and lowered himself slowly. Addie's giggles reminded him that he couldn't curse under his breath as his legs started to shake when he got to number twenty-eight or so. Instead, he tried to focus his attention on the little girl clinging to his back.

"How about we stop for ice cream before I take you back to your mom?" Damon gritted through the pain. "Or is it too cold outside for that?"

"Can I get strawberry?" Addie asked him.

He took a deep breath in and switched legs. "Of course."

"Don't let your legs give out on you now, D," Alaric said, standing next to them with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "You've got a mile run with Addie on your shoulders before we move onto arms."

"Jerk," Damon grunted.

"Don't be a jerk to Friend Damon!" Addie defended him, which elicited a loud laugh from Alaric.

Later on, Damon was making his laps around the training gym. Ten laps equaled a mile and he was on lap eight as Addie bounced along on top of his shoulders. She was a tiny thing. She couldn't have weighed more than 30 pounds or so, but the extra weight that he wasn't used to carrying around had started to get to him. He was slowing down and his usual seven minute mile was turning into eight. He passed the starting line, glancing over to Alaric who gave him an encouraging nod.

"What's my time?" Damon panted, not stopping.

"6 minutes, 22 seconds," Alaric said, looking at his stop watch. "You're doing alright."

"I think we can go faster, don't you Princess?" Damon said through deep breaths, glancing upwards to Addie.

"Yep!" she laughed as he strained his muscles to pick up the pace.

When he finished his tenth lap, Alaric clicked the stop button on his watch. "7 minutes, 34 seconds. Not bad, D."

Damon knelt down to let Addie climb off of his shoulders, sweat rolling down him. Her little feet padded across the gym floor and she reached for Damon's water bottle. She scampered back over to where he was as he dried his face with a towel and held the Nalgene up in the air with both her hands.

"You need this," she said to him.

"Thanks," Damon managed out between huffs as he took the bottle from her. He unscrewed the cap and let the cool water wash down his throat. It was exquisite. A nice cold drink of water after any type of cardio was always a rewarding experience.

"It's almost three," Alaric said, glancing as his phone. "Quick arm burn and then I'll let you out of here."

"Wanna come get ice cream with us?" Addie asked.

"Ice cream, D?" Alaric shrieked. "You can't cheat your diet this close to a fight."

Damon laughed at Alaric's overreaction. "Ever the neurotic, Ric. It's for her. I'm not getting anything."

"Oh, okay." He visibly relaxed his stance. "It's just that I hate to see you killing yourself in the gym if it doesn't pay off. This fight against Connor Jordan is super important. You've got to win to make it back to Vegas."

"And I will," Damon assured him.

"I know you will."

* * *

Addie swung her legs back and forth on the barstool of Damon's favorite diner. It was the first place he usually came to when he was done with his training diet. The smell of hotdog chili wafted through his nostrils the minute they'd walked in and it had his mouth watering within seconds. He had to resist though. Just a little longer and the fighting season would be over. He would beat Klaus and then reward himself with a chili dog with extra hot sauce and it would be glorious.

"You ever been here?" he asked Addie, who was licking at a dripping waffle cone of strawberry ice cream. Her hands were already sticky as the liquid melted onto the counter.

"Uncle Matt and I go here a lot," she said absentmindedly. "He likes Rocky Road."

"Does he?" Damon inquired. It was all he could stand not to be jealous of the easy relationship Addie had with Matt. From what Elena told him, Matt had basically had a hand at raising Addie thus far. From late night bottle feedings to potty training to monsters under the bed, he was there. It made him wonder if it was because he loved Addie or maybe because he also loved Elena too. He couldn't let such petty jealous thoughts permeate his brain. Elena was his and he was hers and that was what mattered.

"What kind do you like?" Addie asked him.

Damon grabbed a couple of napkins nearby and did his best to wipe up the puddle of ice cream accumulating on the countertop underneath her hands. "Mint chocolate chip," he answered.

"That's what Momma likes too."

"Did you have fun today?" he asked. "I liked having you there to help me."

She nodded. "You run really fast. You're like a superhero!"

"Not quite, Princess," he chuckled.

He felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket and he fished it out. It was a text from Elena.

 _How far are you?_

"I think your mom misses you. She's ready for us to come back," he said aloud to Addie as he typed a text back to Elena.

 _We stopped for ice cream. Be there in twenty or so. See you soon. We both missed you today._

"I'm almost done," Addie said as she started frantically eating away at the ice cream. She must have been determined to eat as much as she could. Then all of a sudden she stopped and scrunched her eyes closed. "Ow!" she whined. "My head hurts!"

Damon grabbed another napkin and used it to take the cone from Addie's hands. "It's okay. You've got brain freeze," he said. "Push your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It'll make it go away."

She kept her eyes shut, tears brimming in the corners of them, as she did what he suggested. Then suddenly she opened her eyes. "It went away," she said, smiling and reaching for the cone from Damon's hand.

He laughed as he held it away from her. "That's probably enough. Your mom will kill me if I bring you back all hopped up on sugar."

To his surprise, she didn't protest much as he threw the melty ice cream into a trash can on their way out. When they got back to the Camaro, he grabbed some wet wipes out of the bag Elena had packed and went to town cleaning Addie's face and hands with them. She squirmed a little as he did it and it certainly was no easy task, especially since he had to work around her winter jacket. Once she was all clean, he buckled her securely into her car seat, tugging on the restraints to test them like Elena had shown him. He blasted the heat in the Camaro as they eased their way down the road to Gilbert's Garage.

"Oh, I like this song!" Addie chimed in from the backseat.

Damon reached for the radio to turn it up a little for her and he glanced into the rearview mirror to see her bobbing her head up and down to the beat of the drums. "Your mom lets you listen to Queen?"

"She says I have to learn the classics. I don't know what that means. What is classics, Friend Damon?"

"It means it's important for you to learn where today's music came from. Classic means like older, like something that will be good forever," he tried to explain as he clicked on his turn signal.

"Ohhhh," Addie said, nodding her head. "Well I like them."

They rode the rest of the time with the music playing loudly, Damon attempting to educate Addie as best he could on the great bands of the past. Some of the songs she recognized, but a lot of them she didn't. He took it as his duty to make sure she learned all the words by the time summer rolled around.

That was if Elena would still want him around by then. He couldn't set himself up for disappointment like that. Maybe she'd tire of him the way that most people did when they got to know him too well. In the past he'd pushed people away before they could do the same to him first. It was a hell of a defense mechanism and one he'd managed to perfect over the years. Something was different with Elena though. Rather than wanting to push her away, he wanted her close and it was a terrifying feeling because she could choose to give up on him and walk away at any moment. To make matters even worse, if she walked away, he wouldn't see Addie again either.

He cast those fears aside as he pulled into the parking lot of the garage, setting the Camaro in park and glancing his eyes back into the rearview mirror again. Addie's face was full of excitement to see her mother.

"Let's get you unbuckled and inside. What do you say?"

She nodded her head and started pulling on the straps of her car seat, trying to free herself. Damon turned off the car and stepped out. He pulled the front seat forward and reached in the back to help her. Fortunately, she hadn't quite figured out how to unbuckle herself yet. He was sure Elena was not looking forward to that day.

As he helped Addie out of the small backseat of the Camaro, he thought it was slightly strange that Elena hadn't immediately run out to greet them. He imagined that she'd be looking outside just waiting on them to drive up, but instead the parking lot was rather quiet. It was possible she was working on a car right now. It was possible that she was just busy. After all, she was trying to run a successful business. Still, something wasn't sitting right with him. Something felt – off.

He looked down at the toddler, who was clutching his hand in hers. He couldn't leave her alone in the cold weather in the parking lot just because he had a hunch. "Princess," he calmly spoke to her. "Remember how you held onto my neck earlier at the gym? If I put you on my back, can you do that again?"

She nodded her head and he hooked his arms around her to lift her up. Once she was settled onto his back, he shut the car door quietly and slowly approached the door to the waiting room. It swung open and the bell attached made its usual dinging noise. He'd expected to see some customers or even someone behind the front desk. Instead, the television on the wall humming quietly and the blinking light on the coffee pot were the only signs of life.

He craned his neck so Addie could hear him. "Still holding on tight, right?" he whispered to her.

He felt her nod her head a couple of times. Damon looked over to the door that led out to the shop, where Elena, Matt, and Tyler repaired all of the cars. It was slightly ajar, nothing to raise any kind of alarm on its own, but coupled with the eerie stillness of a usually bustling business, it was enough to make him nervous. He walked over and gingerly pushed the door the rest of the way open, taking soft steps inside the shop.

It was empty, save for a couple of cars that were probably being worked on, their hoods propped open and a couple of random wrenches on the ground next to them. It was as if the place had been abandoned, as if everyone had just vanished. Damon remembered briefly that Elena mentioned she had an office upstairs and that was truly the only place he had left to look. If there was someone still here, they'd have to be in there. He saw a set of rickety wooden steps, adjusted Addie so that she was still secure on his back, and slowly made his way upstairs.

"Momma?" Addie called out for her mother, finally starting to sense that something was wrong. "Where is Momma?" she asked Damon.

"I don't know, Princess, but I'll find her. Right now, I need you to stay really quiet, okay?" He had just a couple more steps until he came to an opening. There wasn't a door or anything, just an opening to a dark room that smelled like motor oil.

"Shhhh, someone's coming," he heard a hushed voice whisper from the dark room. It didn't sound like Elena, but it was definitely female.

"Bonnie?" Damon called out into the darkness. "Bonnie, its Damon. Are you hurt?"

A lamp flickered on from a nearby metal desk and it illuminated the small room. Bonnie and Tyler stood up to reveal themselves, Tyler clutching at his stomach and grimacing. Bonnie looked to be physically unharmed. Elena and Matt were nowhere in sight and it didn't take a genius to figure out who had taken them.

"Where's Momma?" Addie started to cry, clutching her arms tightly around Damon. "I'm scared. I want to go home."

He moved to bring her around to his front and she buried her head into his chest, sniffling and wailing, as he held her close and tried to comfort her. "I'll find her. I promise."

"Are they gone?" Bonnie asked him.

Damon nodded his head. "It's empty down there. No one's here anymore."

Bonnie took a couple steps forward and rested her hand on Addie's shoulder. Addie looked up at her with red eyes. "It's okay, Addie. Come with me and I'll get you some candy?" She held her arms out to her.

Damon was reluctant to relinquish Addie to anyone right now, even Bonnie. If she left his sight for even a second, how could he be sure she was safe? Still, he needed to find out what happened and he needed to get Tyler some medical attention. He couldn't do either of those with a crying toddler in his arms. Addie's bottom lip quivered as she cried and when she looked up at Damon to silently ask if it was okay to go with Bonnie, the look of despair in her eyes basically shattered his heart.

He nodded his head to her and Addie unclasped her arms from around his neck before reaching out for Bonnie. "Thanks, Bonnie," he acknowledged. "Lock all the doors downstairs, will you?"

She nodded her head, adjusted Addie on her hip, and then the two of them disappeared down the steps.

Damon turned his attention to Tyler, who was still holding an arm against his midsection. He was breathing, but slowly and with a lot of effort, as he balanced himself with his other hand on the small desk covered in receipts and invoices.

"You alright?" Damon asked him, taking a step forward.

"My ribs," Tyler groaned. "I think I may have broken a couple."

"Can I take a look?"

Tyler sucked in a deep breath and raised the fabric on his shirt. He was starting to bruise badly on his right side.

"You could be bleeding internally. We need to get you to the ER," Damon said. He went to lift Tyler's left arm to sling over his shoulders. There's no way he'd make it down the stairs without some help. It was a wonder he'd even made it up there.

He was out of his mind with worry as he helped Tyler limp along. Klaus had the means to take Elena and Matt anywhere. He had the means to make them disappear without a trace if he so chose. He had to find them as soon as he could, but he knew Elena would have wanted him to make sure Addie and her friends were safe first. He tugged on the door to get into the waiting room and it was locked. He lifted his fingers and rapped them on the glass.

Bonnie's terrified face appeared, but it softened when she realized it was just Damon. She turned the lock and he helped Tyler into the waiting room, sitting him down on one of the chairs. Bonnie had somehow managed to calm Addie down as she munched on some chocolate and watched cartoons on the television. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears, her face still slightly red.

"I've got to get him to the hospital," Damon whispered to Bonnie, pointing to Tyler. "And then I'm going to go get them back."

"Uncle Tyler, are you okay?" Addie asked, dropping her candy and making her way across the small room to him. "Do you know where Momma is?"

Damon knelt down in front of Addie. "Princess, I'm going to find your mom. I promise, okay?"

"I can take her to Caroline's for a little while. We'll be safe there," Bonnie offered.

He shook his head. "I can't risk leading them to anyone else. Ric and I have a fishing cabin. I need you to go there with her. If he took Elena, Addie is next on his list."

"Elena would want Addie to be someplace she felt comfortable, someplace familiar," Bonnie protested.

"He's right," Tyler said, his breathing labored and rough. "Bonnie you didn't see these guys. They're professionals."

"Well should we call the police at least?" Bonnie shrieked.

"No cops," Tyler uttered. "He said he'd kill them if we tried."

"Bad guys always say that."

"This isn't a movie, Bonnie." Damon stood up and took his phone from his back pocket, typing out a long text message. "I'm calling in a favor to a friend. He'll stay with you and Addie. He'll make sure you both stay safe."

Tyler coughed and a little blood sputtered from his mouth.

"I've got to get him to the hospital," Damon said and although he sounded calm, he felt frantic on the inside. "Stay here. Keep the doors locked. My friend, Enzo, is going to come and get you. He'll make sure you're not followed to the cabin."

"How do you know we can trust him?" Bonnie asked skeptically, smoothing Addie's hair gingerly on top of her head.

"I've known Enzo since high school. We used to fight underground together and I saved his life once. He's a professional; he guards people for a living. Believe me when I say that I wouldn't leave Addie in the hands of someone I did not absolutely trust."

She nodded her head. "Okay. We'll go with your plan."

* * *

Hospital coffee tasted like absolutely ass, but Damon managed to choke down the contents of the flimsy styrofoam cup. Tyler had been in surgery for two hours now and without any information on what happened at the garage, all Damon could do was wait for him to get out.

Bonnie was upstairs in the office when they broke in so she didn't see or hear anything when it happened. The most Damon had gotten out of Tyler once he'd strapped him into the car was that it was three men, two with British accents. After that, Tyler passed out.

So Damon had to wait. He nervously rang his hands together in his lap, his jean-clad and blood-stained knees bouncing up and down. He was wasting time and the thought that Klaus was taking Elena further and further away from him with each passing moment wouldn't escape his brain.

At least Enzo had managed to get Addie to safety. The relief of hearing that she was well-hidden and protected did little to ease his racing mind, but he felt a small sense of comfort that she was unharmed.

He sat there, his hand crushing the cheap cup into small pieces, for what seemed like a lifetime. Each second seemed like a minute. Each minute seemed like an hour. He was in agony.

"Brother!" Stefan's voice rang through the hospital waiting area.

He looked up to see Stefan rushing over to him, Caroline trailing behind him, unable to keep up with his quick pace. When Stefan reached him, he put a hand on Damon's shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked him. "Caroline got a hysteric phone call from Bonnie."

"All I could decipher was that I needed to get Stefan to the hospital to find you," Caroline said, catching up to the two of them.

"He took her," Damon said aloud, his voice strained. "He took her and it's all my fault."

"Who took who?" Caroline asked, confusion all over her face.

Stefan stood tall, his face pale and white with fear. "Klaus. He took Elena."

"Where is Addie?" Caroline started to frantically look around, tears welling up in her eyes. "Did he take her too? Where is she?"

"She's safe with Bonnie," Damon quietly said, his eyes transfixed on his hands. "He took Matt too. I think Tyler tried to fight them off. He's in surgery, but they're saying he'll pull through."

Her hand shot to cover her mouth and a muffled sob came out as Caroline dropped to her knees on the dingy linoleum floor. Her back shook with each cry. "We have to get them back," she begged. "Please."

"You all here for Tyler Lockwood?" a small nurse in pink scrubs interrupted them, a white face mask dangling from around her neck.

"Yeah," Damon said, standing to his feet.

"He's out of surgery. The doctor managed to patch the internal bleed. He's got two broken ribs, but those will heal in time. He's starting to wake up and he can have one visitor at a time. Room 223," the nurse spoke warmly. She tried to give a soft small to Caroline's crumbled figure, but it went largely unnoticed.

"Thank you," Stefan spoke.

The nurse nodded and disappeared down another hallway.

Caroline stood to her feet, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand. "I need to go see him. God, the last thing I said to him was so horrible. I'm such a bad person."

"Blondie, I need to see him first. He's the only person who has any clue where they may have taken Elena and Matt. Please," Damon bade. "And then you can sit by his bedside for as long as you'd like."

She acquiesced and Damon gave Stefan a small pat on the back before he headed down the hallway to look for Tyler's room. He passed Room 219, 220, 221, 222, and then finally on his left was Room 223. The door was closed and he eased it open, taking a couple of steps inside. He heard the steady and quiet beeping of a heart monitor. Once he was in there, he could see Tyler groggily trying to run his hand over the bandage of his incision site.

"In my experience, it's best not to fuck with stitches," Damon interrupted. "You can get a nasty infection."

"Did you find them?" Tyler asked.

"That's the thing. I don't know where to look. They could be down the street or they could be halfway around the world by now," Damon said, dragging a chair next to Tyler's bed. He turned it so the back was facing the bed and then straddled the chair. "I need you to tell me everything you heard and saw. I need any clues you have. Everything is important. Leave nothing out."

"It was a pretty normal day," Tyler began. "We were all just shooting the shit, working on some cars. Elena had a yellow Xterra that she was replacing the radiator on. Matt and I were working on a Dodge Durango. We had a few routine oil changes and tire rotations in between it all."

"No unordinary customers? No one lurking around the parking lot or anything?"

Tyler paused, trying to recall if there had been. "If anything was out of the ordinary, I didn't notice it."

"Okay, so normal morning, normal customers, blah blah blah. When did things go from normal to my girlfriend being carted away by a dangerous asshole?" Damon said. He was really trying to keep himself reigned in, trying to keep his calm in a tense and time sensitive situation, but the clock was ticking and the chances of him finding Elena unharmed were diminishing as it did so.

"Bonnie went upstairs to the office to grab some blank invoices so Elena was covering for her up front. Matt was organizing and cleaning tools and I was underneath a Ford Explorer changing the oil. I heard Elena yelling at someone in the front office, telling them they weren't welcome here, telling them that they'd better leave or she'd call the cops. I slid out from underneath the car to go check on her and this guy who came in a little while ago, Klaus is his name I think, and two other guys were trying to drag her outside." Tyler closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He winced a little as he tried to adjust himself in the hospital bed. "One of the other guys had a British accent too, slightly stocky, sandy-brown hair. The other didn't. He had a thick New Orleans accent, darker skin, a shaved head."

"Did they say any names or locations during the struggle? Anything that might help me start to know where to look?"

Tyler looked dejected, absolutely defeated, and lost in his own story. He barely heard the question Damon asked him. "I swear Matt and I tried to stop them. We were pulling her back to us. We almost had her and then the American guy knocked me hard in the jaw and started stomping me in my ribs. I couldn't get back up. I tried, but I couldn't. They tried throwing Matt off of her too, but he kept himself attached. He yelled at Klaus that there was no way they were taking Elena, that he wouldn't let go of her no matter what. Klaus yelled that he'd kill them both if I called the police. He said he'd kill me if I ruined his plan. I watched the three guys throw Elena and Matt into the back of white van and drive away. Bonnie helped me upstairs to hide. We weren't sure if they'd come back. She was so terrified."

"Tyler," Damon said, waving a hand in front of his face. "I know it's been a traumatic day, but if I have any hope of saving them, I need you to focus. Names, locations, anything at all?"

"No," he shook his head. "Nothing. They were too smart to let anything like that slip."

"Okay, so the white van," Damon refocused. "Did you get a look at the license plate? Or even the make and model?"

"It was a Ford," Tyler strained out, his eyes getting droopy from the pain medication he was on.

"Okay. A white Ford van. That's something," Damon said, trying to sound positive. He really wasn't feeling very positive at the moment. "Thank you, Tyler. You've been very helpful," he lied, standing from the chair.

Damon took the few strides across the small hospital room to get to the door. He placed his hand on the handle and started to pull it open.

"Damon?" Tyler called out.

He turned his head over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"I'm not positive, but I think I heard Klaus mutter something about getting them back home under his breath. That may not have been what he said and I don't know exactly where home is, but maybe that will help you."

Damon turned the doorknob. "Thanks, Tyler. I hope you feel better soon."

When the door clicked shut behind him, Stefan and Caroline were standing there holding hands and looking at him expectantly. They were looking for answers, answers that Damon didn't really have right now. It only added to his frustration.

"Anything?" Stefan asked, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. Stefan's perfectly coifed hair was never disheveled.

"They took them in a white Ford van, maybe back to New York, but that seems too obvious. He knows that's the first place I'd look for them," Damon thought out loud. "Unless he meant home as in where he was born. He could be taking them back to London."

"It would make sense," Stefan said. "You don't know anything about England. He'd have the complete home field advantage. You wouldn't even know where to start looking once you got there."

What didn't make sense and what Damon couldn't figure out is why Klaus hadn't contacted him yet. You don't kidnap someone and not leave a set of demands for their safe return. He pulled his phone from his pocket. Still no calls or texts.

"Is Tyler okay?" Caroline meekly asked, her eyes red and starting to brim with tears all over again.

"He's a little out of it from the drugs, but he looks good," Damon answered. He stepped aside to let her into the hospital room and she slowly made her way inside, the door softly clicking shut behind her.

"Can you make sure Elena's parents are alright? Caroline knows where they live," Damon asked Stefan.

Stefan nodded, digging his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Yeah, of course. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to England."

It was a risk, little more than a hunch that he was going to right place. If he got on a plane, he'd be stuck there for 7 hours and if he was wrong, it would put him even further away from saving them. Even when he got to London, he had no idea where to start looking. Still, it was the only shot he had and he was tired of just standing around doing nothing.

* * *

 **A/N: Please don't hate me! Things couldn't be butterflies and unicorns forever. Also, I know we're ending on a bit of a cliffhanger right now, but since work is slowing down for me a little bit, I've started Chapter 11 already. I'm hoping to have it up soon.**

 **On a more serious and unrelated note, whether you're American or not, please keep Orlando in your thoughts right now. What happened was a senseless act of violence and it's been a really tough couple of days for the LGBT community and our nation as a whole. Thank you.**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: We're getting pretty sad here. You guys know I love some angst and a little bit of a self-loathing Damon so we're getting some of that in this chapter.**

 **Without further delay...**

* * *

The rough ropes bit into Elena's wrists as she felt small vibrations around her. The blindfold ensured that she couldn't see anything so she couldn't be sure, but she thought she was on a plane. Whatever syringe they'd injected into her in the van had knocked her out until about five minutes ago and now she was tied up, couldn't see anything, and very, very afraid.

She heard a rustling next to her, the sound of someone else thrashing around. "Matt?" she whispered.

"Elena?" Matt whispered back.

They had no idea where they were, where they were going, how they were going to get themselves free.

She scooted across the carpeted floor towards the sound of Matt's voice, trying to get a little closer to him. Maybe they could go back to back and untie each other's hands. That would at least be a start.

"Tsk, tsk, little warrior princess," a voice she didn't recognize cut through the air. "Boss says you gotta stay in your corner."

Elena felt strong arms wrap themselves around her body and drag her back to where she had been sitting on the floor. "Tell Klaus I want to speak with him. Tell him I'm willing to negotiate," Elena spoke after he dropped her to the floor roughly.

"It's not you he wants to negotiate with," the man told her. "Now keep quiet. You too, quarterback. Don't think about trying anything."

With no sight and no use of her limbs and with someone looming over her, Elena was powerless. All she could do was sit there and think. She thought about the sound of Tyler screaming her name as she was being dragged into the van. She thought about the tight, almost bruising grip that Matt held on her wrist as they pulled the both of them inside. She thought about how thankful she was that Addie wasn't there when it all happened. And when her mind drifted to her daughter, she lost all sense of composure. Would she survive this to be able to see her again? Or was chasing her around the kitchen table this morning the last memory she'd have of her?

"Stop crying," the man said sternly. "Cut it out."

"She's scared, you asshole," Matt spoke up.

She heard thudding footsteps go towards Matt, the sound of several punches being landed, and then silence.

"Matt!" Elena screamed out. "Matt, are you okay?"

"Matt's taking a nap. I'm under strict orders not to hurt your pretty little face." The man roughly grabbed her chin between his thumb and index finger. "But he's not even supposed to be here so I guess he's expendable."

Tears rolled down her face as she sobbed, trying to pull herself away from his grasp.

"Oh, don't worry. He'll wake up. And when he does, you're going to make sure that he behaves, that you both behave," the man cooed.

His voice sent shivers down her spine, but her cries continued to echo in the small space.

"Marcel, what in the bloody hell is going on back there?" a different voice spoke, a British accent that she recognized immediately. Klaus.

"Sorry about all the noise, boss. Just trying to keep them in line," Marcel answered.

Klaus sighed. "If we bruise her, it'll be much harder to get Damon to cooperate. Kindly take your hands off her, please."

Marcel released his grip and immediately Elena let out a sigh of relief. She heard footsteps coming towards her and she curled her legs beneath her in fear. What did he have planned for her?

Then she felt hands reaching around her, gently untying the blindfold that covered her eyes. It slid down her face and she squinted her eyes, adjusting to the bright overhead lights. When she was able to fully open them, she looked around the cabin of a very luxurious private jet. They were certainly flying somewhere, but she had no idea where.

She looked to her right to see Matt's slumped over form and she had to bit her lip between her teeth to keep from screaming out. She watched his stomach rise and fall. At least he was still breathing, despite the blood that trickled from his face.

She looked up to see Klaus looming over her, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face because he knew he was in charge.

"Sorry about that, love. Marcel gets a little excited sometimes. It's his Louisiana roots coming out," he spoke confidently. "You're going to be okay. We're not going to hurt you as long as your boyfriend does what I ask him to do. In fact, think of yourself as a guest. Think of this as a vacation from your nominal life."

"He's going to find me," Elena bit out. "And you're going to lose."

Klaus let out a sinister laugh. "Oh, darling." He bent down and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, wiping away what little tears had not dried yet. The gesture made Elena nauseous. "Don't you see? I have you. I've already won."

"Well Niklaus, you were right about one thing. She certainly is quite beautiful." Another man approached them, his built slightly stocky and his hair perfectly styled. He looked to be related to Klaus, their faces sharing the same nose.

"Elijah here is going help keep you out of harm's way," Klaus said pointing over to the man. "He's kind, a lot kinder than Marcel and myself. Trust me, you're going to be thankful that Elijah is here."

"Sorry about having to inject you earlier," Elijah said. "I didn't want to, but it was necessary."

Elena blew out a breath and for the first time since she'd woken up on this mystery airplane, she was angry instead of fearful. "That's what you want to apologize for? Really?"

"You're clearly upset," Elijah calmly spoke. "When we land, I'll ensure that you're comfortable. I promise."

"You have some fucked up moral code, you know that?" Elena angrily spoke.

Klaus interrupted. "Elena, Elijah is your Option A. Should you choose to not cooperate, Marcel is your Option B. And I assure you that Option B will not be something you care to experience."

"You're bluffing," Elena said indignantly. "You just said you need me unharmed to get what you want."

"And I do. But him on the other hand," Klaus let his gaze fall to Matt's unconscious form. "I take it he means a great deal to you. I'd hate to have to hurt him to get you to behave."

She didn't respond anymore after that. For the rest of the plane ride, as Marcel, Elijah, and Klaus went about sitting in their tan leather seats and chatting about what to do when they landed, she plotted to herself. She thought about how she was going to get out of this. Sure, they had the obvious advantage of being bigger and stronger. They had a plan and they had what seemed to be an endless amount of financial funds. But she had something that none of them did. She had heart.

* * *

Why did all economy class seats have such little leg room? Damon shifted his weight around. He was in a middle seat in the back of the plane, the only seat left on the earliest flight from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow. He tapped the screen in front of him to check the flight time. It was a little over three hours before they'd land. And he still had no fucking clue what to do once they touched down.

Enzo was trying to utilize some connections to see if any of his acquaintances had heard anything. Damon didn't relish the fact that he had to call Enzo. It'd been years since they'd even spoken, but he knew he could trust him and he knew that Enzo would drop everything to come help him out. Because that's the kind of person Enzo was. Yet another good person that Damon pushed away unnecessarily. Even if Enzo had a beat on anything, Damon wouldn't know it until he landed. It wasn't like he had very good cell reception over 35,000 feet in the air.

He ran over things in his head. He should have agreed to throw the fight. No stupid title was worth endangering Elena and Addie. The hours spent in the gym, the grueling training that he'd gone through, none of that compared to the pain of possibly losing the two of them. It just wasn't worth it. It didn't matter that Elena told him not to give in. Surely if she knew that this was going to happen, she would have felt differently. The guilt overwhelmed him as he leaned his head back and rested it on the seat.

"Going to London for a vacation, dear?" the gray haired English woman beside of him asked. She'd looked up from her knitting kit for the first time since the flight.

"Not exactly," Damon answered abruptly. He really wasn't in the mood for small talk with a stranger.

"Business then?" she asked, sweetly smiling at him.

"Kind of."

"I'm going to visit family," she continued on. "I have a son at Oxford and a daughter working in downtown. She's a fashion designer."

He didn't respond.

The woman let out a chuckle to herself. "Can you imagine? Making a living out of telling people what to wear?"

He still didn't respond. Maybe if he didn't engage in the conversation then she'd realize that he wasn't in the mood.

"What do you do for a living?" she asked him curiously.

"I'm an athlete," Damon answered. He didn't care to go into any more detail.

The woman clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, what sport? You look like a baseball player maybe?"

He rolled his eyes. She really was not going to leave him alone. "I'm a fighter. Mixed martial arts."

"My son did karate when he was younger," the woman recalled proudly. "He wasn't very good though. He's more of the studying type."

"That's my brother," Damon added. "He's had his nose buried in books his whole life." He realized he'd actually offered up a piece of conversation without being prodded and it felt nice to open up a little to someone he didn't know and would never see again. The conversation took his mind off of the helpless and guilty feelings swirling around in his mind.

They stuck to topics that were pretty non-controversial. The weather in London versus DC, the differences between American and European football, and even a little about their unexpectedly mutual love of spicy food. Damon never would have thought in a million years that this old woman would be a fan of Tapatio.

He absentmindedly tapped the screen in front of him again to see how much longer they're be on the plane and was surprised to discover that they'd be landing in about twenty minutes. And suddenly the weight of being in a foreign place with no clue where to find Elena and Matt hit him all over again. If it was part of Klaus' plan for him to feel utterly useless and inadequate, he was playing right into it.

"What's the matter?" the woman asked, taking note of his melancholy expression.

"I'm going to London to find someone and I just realized that I have no clue where to find her," Damon explained. He left out the part about the kidnapping and the stupid UFC title vendetta.

"Well I grew up there. Maybe I can help?" she offered.

He shook his head. "I don't think you can."

She tapped her head and smiled cheerfully. "Steel trap up here. I remember a lot more than people give me credit for."

"The Mikaelsons? Do you know them?" It couldn't hurt to ask.

"Well, not personally. Let's just say the people that run in their circles don't ride in the back of a commercial airplane," she said, chuckling. "They're very wealthy. Have an estate in Kensington, I believe."

"Kensington," Damon said to himself. "I guess I'm headed there then."

When the plane touched down, he took it upon himself to help the woman grab her bag out of the overhead compartment. He slung the a strap of his black backpack that he'd stuffed full in a hurry over his shoulder and waited impatiently to deplane. Now that he was actually in London, his sense of urgency was renewed. He tapped his boot, shifting side to side, in the tiny aisle as he waited to move forward. He was going to be the very last passenger off the plane, as if the universe was mocking him.

Waiting in the line to get through Customs was even worse. He dug through his backpack to grab his phone and turn it back on, grateful that Rose insisted he spring for the international cell phone plan a couple of years ago. He'd thought it was a complete waste at the time, but now he was thanking the heavens for it as the screen loaded and a barrage of text messages came through.

He'd left without so much as a word to Alaric, Rose, or his father so there were text messages from all three of them wondering where he was. Apparently Stefan filled them all in eventually because Rose and Alaric sent follow-up texts with words of encouragement. It was really all they could do at this point. Damon looked up to see the line moving a little so he shuffled forward a few steps and then looked back at his phone. Giuseppe's second text was not as nice.

 _Get your ass back on US soil before you get injured._

Ever the caring father he was. Damon didn't have time to let his father issues sit for too long. He scrolled down to look for anything from Enzo. There was an update letting him know that Addie and Bonnie were thankfully still safe, but no leads on Elena or Matt's whereabouts. Without anything else to go in, he was still heading to Kensington.

* * *

"I trust you find the accommodations comfortable," Elijah spoke from the doorway of the opulent bedroom.

Elena looked around the room. There was a large bed and nightstand in white wood with gold etchings on them. The carpet beneath her feet was plush and soft. There was a door to a connected bathroom with a porcelain clawfoot tub. "It's a very nice prison cell, but I won't stay willingly."

He took a deep breath and a couple steps towards her.

She reluctantly took a few steps backwards, the back of her legs hitting up against a chest of drawers that matched the bed and nightstand.

"I don't want any harm to come to anyone here, Elena. I'm just trying to do what's right for my family. Please cooperate with me," he almost begged her. "If not, there might be bloodshed. I don't want that."

"If you let me and Matt go home, there won't be," she said defiantly.

"I'm sure you're tired from the flight. There's things to bathe with and fresh towels in the bathroom. Those drawers have a few sets of clean clothes. I'll leave you to clean up and get some rest." Elijah backed out of the room and started to close the door.

"Elijah?" Elena called.

"Yes?"

"Where is Matt? Is he going to be okay?" She stood on her toes as she waited for an answer, silently praying that the answer would be he's fine and he's close by.

"He hasn't woken up yet, but I'll let you know when he is," Elijah replied after a few moments. "If there is anything that you need, just knock on the door and I'll see to it that you have it."

The heavy door closed behind him and Elena let a few tears fall. Maybe she was ungrateful, but she couldn't bring herself to shower or change clothes. She curled up in a ball on the carpet and just cried for what seemed like hours. She cried because she had no idea where in the hell she was. And if she didn't know, there's no way Damon would know. There's no way anyone would find her. She cried because her own stupidity, her own stubbornness, had gotten her into this mess.

The what-ifs plagued her. If she'd taken Damon up on his offer for security, Matt would be okay right now. If she'd let him just break up with her when he tried to, her life would still be normal. If she'd just ran the other way the minute she thought she might be in danger, she could be at home making dinner for her daughter right now.

She picked herself from the ground and wiped away the tears. This was her chance to make the right choices this time around. She took quiet steps and tried to turn the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. She jiggled it in her hand, but it didn't give at all. She looked around the room for anything to arm herself with, a letter opener or pen maybe. There was nothing. There wasn't even a razor in the bathroom. She tried the windows, pushing with all of her might to open them, but they were sealed shut and locked from the outside.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Klaus interrupted as she started to reposition herself so that she could push on the window even harder. She'd been so caught up in trying to break out that she hadn't even heard him come in. "The only way out is through this door," he said, closing it shut behind him. "And you're only going through that door once I get what I want."

"You want Damon to throw the championship fight," Elena responded. At this point, she didn't give a shit about some stupid fight. She just wanted to get her and Matt home safely. "If you let me talk to him, I can probably convince him to. He'll listen to me."

"Well see, at first that is what I wanted. Now I'm seeking something else. I want him to quit the league and I want a public apology for smearing my good name. All those rumors of me buying that fight are really starting to hurt my feelings," he pouted. He set down a tray of food onto the bed nearby, what looked to be a chicken salad sandwich and some fries. "Hungry?" he tempted.

"You did buy that fight," Elena bit back, ignoring his attempt to bribe her with the food. She was actually starving, but she couldn't give in.

"Yeah, but see I didn't want people to actually know about it. A title isn't a title if it is bought."

"Then maybe you should have tried to earn it."

"You're awfully sassy for someone who has a friend tied up just waiting to be tortured," Klaus warned. "We're calling Damon soon enough, but I need you to be showered and dressed when we do it. We can't have him thinking that we aren't taking good care of you."

"Where is Matt?" she asked him, ignoring his request for her to cooperate.

"With Marcel."

Elena's face fell flat. What little experience she had with the man had been so very violent and she squirmed thinking of the pain he'd put Matt through.

"Relax," Klaus soothed, but the word did little to soothe her at all. "Marcel has assured me he will behave until I tell him otherwise. And believe me Elena, I have no problem telling him otherwise."

"You're a bastard," Elena muttered under her breath.

"Since the day I was born," he answered. "Now do me a favor, eat something and take a bath, love. Damon will be happy to hear from you in the morning. We'll get to discuss his resignation and apology, among other things."

The sound of the door slamming behind him echoed through the room and she was left absolutely alone. Maybe if she cooperated, they'd make it out of this alive. Elijah seemed like a decent enough man, even if he was very misguided. If she made things easy for them, maybe he'd see to it that she and Matt could get back home.

* * *

Damon sat in the back of a taxi, bouncing around in the seat as the driver weaved his way through traffic. He'd offered the guy an extra fifty pounds to get him to Kensington in less than half an hour. Apparently the driver took that as a personal challenge and was trying to beat some kind of world record.

"Kensington is a big neighborhood. Whereabouts am I taking you?" the driver asked as he squeezed through a tiny opening between two cars.

"Not sure yet," Damon answered. "Just head that way and I'll let you know."

He took his phone out and started trying to search for an address. Anything with the last name Mikaelson in that area. His efforts yielded just one address. That had to be it. That had to be where he was keeping her. He held his phone up so the driver could see it. "Here. We're going here."

"Sure," the driver nodded. "I know where that is."

He had the location, or at least where he assumed was the location. Damon sat back and tried to formulate a plan on how he was going to get them out of there. This whole time he'd been flying by the seat of his pants, trying to make decisions as they came to him and so far lucking out on his choices. Maybe he could sneak inside and find her. He wasn't much with a gun, even if he had one, but he was stealthy. He could take down a few guys at a time as long as they weren't armed, but he was waging a lot on the slim possibility that any security there would be unarmed.

His phone rang in his hand as he stepped out of the car in front of a large mansion. It was surrounded by a tall iron fence, the plush and green yard stretching out for nearly a mile before it reached the house. Damon looked down at his phone. Enzo was calling him, hopefully with good news. He could really use some good news.

"Enzo, I'm here. The Mikaelsons have an estate in Kensington and I'm outside. I'm getting them out of there. I have no idea how, but I'm going to do it," Damon said into the phone.

"Mate, listen to me," Enzo's voice came through. "She isn't there. A buddy of mine heard that Klaus' jet was headed for Belgium. You're in the wrong place."

He almost dropped the phone in despair, the pit of his stomach twisting into small knots. He'd failed her. "No, no. She has to be here. Klaus said something about taking her home," he reasoned. "He's from here."

"He said that to throw you off. He wanted you to go to the wrong place," Enzo explained, sadness for Damon in his tone.

"Then I'm headed to Belgium," he said confidently. "It's a small country. I'll find her."

"Before they move her again? C'mon Damon, you're smarter than that."

"Well what can I do? I need to do something." He was getting frantic, running his hand through his hair and pulling too roughly on the ends of it. He paced back and forth on the sidewalk.

"Come home, Damon," Enzo replied. "Just come here, be with Addie. She's scared and she keeps asking for you. I'll try to come up with a plan, try to help you find her, but you can't keep chasing a ghost around Europe. Besides, he wouldn't be holding her unless he wanted something from you. Wait for a call."

Completely defeated, Damon ran a hand over his face. He took a deep breath in. Enzo was right. He'd never find her, not like this. He told himself that he wasn't giving up, he was just regrouping. He could still save Elena and Matt. "Alright," he spoke into the phone. "I'll catch a plane back."

* * *

The flight home was even worse than the flight there. He didn't have anything that he was rushing towards and mostly he felt himself getting further and further away from them with each mile that the airplane traveled. He drank way too much bourbon as he sat in his first class seat, trying to drown out the thoughts of disappointment and failure from his head.

Without having eaten anything in over 24 hours, the alcohol worked its magic and he fell asleep after an hour in the air. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or the extreme jet lag that he'd never adjusted to. Or the fact that just being awake and existing was so incredibly painful at the time.

By the time he woke up and the plane landed, all of the heart wrenching feelings he'd been dealing with were gone. Instead he felt numb. Totally and completely numb. When he made it out of US Customs, he trudged out of the exit with his backpack slung over one shoulder. His face was scruffy, he smelled horrible, and even the baseball cap covering his hair did little to mask his need for a shower.

Despite it all, Rose pulled him in for a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're safe," she told him. "We'll figure out what to do about this. I promise."

"D, I know this sucks. Let's get you out of here. You need to shower and eat something," Alaric said, ushering him out into the daylight and towards the Camaro.

Damon climbed into the passenger seat without protest and watched Alaric come around to the driver's seat. He set his head back against the headrest and just closed his eyes. He tried digging his dirty fingernails into the palms of his hands in an effort to feel something, but he felt nothing at all. He picked the scabs off his mangled knuckles as Alaric started the car, but he felt no pain. He just felt empty. He rolled down the passenger side window as they eased onto the interstate and the biting cold air should have at least made him shiver, but it didn't elicit anything from him.

"Can we roll that up, D?" Alaric asked after a few minutes.

Damon didn't respond, just taking the crank in his hand and rolling the window back up. The least he could do was not cause anyone else any discomfort. He'd already done enough damage.

Alaric's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer. "It's Rose," he answered. "She's following behind us in her car." He put the phone on speaker and set it down on the dashboard.

"Is he still not speaking?" Rose asked.

"Not yet," Alaric said, casting a worried glance in Damon's direction.

"Where are we taking him? Are we taking him home?"

"The cabin."

"Okay," Rose breathed out in concern. "I'll follow you guys. I've never been there."

The drive to the cabin was long and winding. Alaric took the back roads, presumably to make sure no one spotted them, but Damon didn't ask. As they drove from DC into Maryland, he wondered how he could have done things differently. He should have backed down from Klaus or he should have just broken up with Elena before they got too close. He'd been selfish, trying to have it all, and now she was suffering because of it. He had no one to blame but himself and his own stupidity.

Alaric eased the Camaro down the narrow driveway of the cabin next to Deep Creek Lake. It wasn't much, not particularly opulent or stylish compared to some of the nicer houses along the lake, but Damon and Alaric owned it together free and clear. They'd bought it back when Damon was only 19, with no help at all from Giuseppe, and it served as an escape from reality for them whenever they needed it. Enzo's Jeep sat in front of them and Rose's BMW trailed down the driveway to park behind them.

Alaric put the car in park and looked over to his best friend. "Damon, listen. I know you're sulking. I know you're feeling like complete and total shit right now, but there's a scared little girl inside that house that needs you to be strong for her. You need to pull it together for her, alright?"

Damon heard the words. He let them roll around in his head as he rested his forehead on the cool glass of the passenger side window and stared out at the glistening lake. He couldn't be what Addie needed, not even if he wanted to. A family, a happy ending just wasn't in the cards for him.

He heard the driver's side door slam shut, but he didn't move. He couldn't. How could he look Addie in the eyes and tell her that he failed? He made her promise and he didn't deliver. What kind of man did that?

After about a half hour, the thought of a shower finally started to entice him a little. He opened the car door, grabbed his back pack, and trudged his way up the wooden stairs to the front door. Enzo snatched the door open, hoping it was Damon but ready to do some serious damage if it wasn't.

"Jesus, mate. You're a sight for sore eyes," Enzo said. He pulled Damon inside the house and shut the door behind him. "We thought you were never coming in. Rose was taking bets on how long before you froze to death out there."

"For the record, I told Alaric to go get you, but he said that you'd come in when you were ready," Bonnie said from the couch in the living room. She turned to look at him and scrunched her nose up. "You should shower."

"Friend Damon!" Addie screamed, running up to hug his leg tightly. "I'm scared. Did you find Momma?"

It was the question he didn't want to answer. He looked down at the toddler, his mouth going dry and his eyes starting to water. "No," he replied, his voice hoarse and strained.

When Addie's eyes started to well up with tears, Damon pulled his leg from her grasp. She reached up for him to pick her up, but he couldn't. He couldn't comfort her, knowing that he was the reason she was crying. He walked down the hallway to the bathroom, threw his bag onto the tile floor, and turned on the water to try to scrub the stench of failure off of himself.

* * *

"Elena, don't worry about me. Don't let those assholes use me to manipulate you," Matt said, as Marcel held him up, pressed against the wall. His feet were barely dancing on the wooden floors of the living room in whatever house Klaus had moved them to this morning. They moved every morning, always a nice home, but never anywhere with neighbors too close by.

They made sure to blindfold her and Matt each time they transported them. Elijah was always apologetic about it, but she felt like Marcel kind of enjoyed it. Klaus was indifferent, saying instead that it needed to be done so she couldn't blab to anyone about where they were.

And it worked. She didn't know what country they were in, let alone the town. At last count, it'd been five days since they were taken. To her knowledge, Klaus hadn't made any demands to Damon yet and she was wondering what in the hell he was waiting on. Wouldn't it make sense to at least give him some terms?

But instead, Klaus was moving them from place to place, treating Elena like some kind of kept woman. He'd forced her to dine with him in fancy dresses, watch him paint during the day, and listen to terrible opera music with him. Each time she refused, he'd threaten Matt's life. The one time she tried to escape to get help, Marcel hit Matt so hard that she feared he wouldn't wake up.

The more time she spent with Klaus, the more she didn't like the way he looked at her. It was a greedy look, the kind of look you give something before you devour it, and it did little to reassure her that she would remain unharmed. Klaus had started to think of her as his possession and that meant he could have her at any time.

"Love," Klaus beseeched.

"Stop calling me that!" she yelled at him. "Tell him to put him down!"

"Are you going to start being more agreeable?" Klaus asked, an eyebrow raised at her.

She nodded, her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from crying. She couldn't let them see her cry anymore. After the first day, she vowed not to cry anymore. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break down.

"Elena," Elijah calmly spoke, holding up the garment that had started this whole thing. "This would be much easier if you would just put on the dress."

The dress was black, more low-cut in the front than she was comfortable with, and it looked like it would cling to her body tightly. She didn't want her body on display to them like that. It was the one bit of her pride she still had left. She eyed the dress and then glanced over to where Matt was still pinned against the wall. If putting on the stupid dress and exposing herself meant she could keep him safe, she'd have to do it.

"Give me the damn dress." She snatched it from Elijah's grip and stalked into her bedroom, or prison cell as she referred to it, to change.

As she looked in the mirror and smoothed the dress over her thighs, she felt so naked. The fabric didn't leave anything to the imagination and she tried to pull the bottom of it down the cover her thighs a little more. This made the top come down further so she tugged that back up, which made the bottom of it land just below the curve of her ass. She pulled it back down. It was demeaning. She felt like an ornament, like something pretty that Klaus could play with and toss aside whenever he was bored.

Marcel barged in without a knock and Elena's hands flew the cover her cleavage. "Boss says dinner is ready and you're to join him in the dining room," he spoke, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a smirk as his eyes hungrily took her in.

She nodded and made her way to the dining room, her hands still covering her chest as she walked. When she entered, Klaus was sitting at the head of a long table with a full spread of food on it.

"I can't eat much. I have to maintain my weight class and all, but you look positively starving," he said with a grin. He extended a hand out. "Come. Sit down."

"Has Matt eaten today?" Elena asked, not moving.

He rolled his eyes. "What kind of man do you take me for? We have a deal here, Elena. You cooperate and I make sure Matt is treated with dignity. Of course he's eaten."

Ever so slowly, she took steps to the dining room table. She tried to pick a chair far away from him. He cleared his throat and pointed at the one beside of him. With her head hung low, she walked to that one. She didn't want to drop her hands to pull out the chair and she hesitated.

"Are you not hungry? We had a long trip this morning."

She stood still, her hands glued to her cleavage.

Klaus took a sip from his wine glass. "Elena, if you're worried about feeling indecent in that dress, I assure you that I could see much more than that if I wanted to. Now sit down."

Defeated, she dropped her arms and pulled the chair out. She sat down and watched as Klaus filled her plate with food. It probably would have been some of the best food she'd ever eaten if she hadn't wanted to throw up at the sight of him as she ate it.

"Am I ever going home?" she asked, taking a large gulp of water from her glass. She left her glass of red wine untouched and thankfully, he didn't make her drink it tonight.

"Well I guess that depends on what your boyfriend decides to do," Klaus replied as he popped a piece of steak into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed it down with some wine. "Although I am thoroughly enjoying our time together, it must come to an end. I think five days is enough suffering for him, don't you? Shall we call him tonight?"

The baleful chuckle he let out terrified her to the bone.

* * *

The walls of the cabin were covered in maps of Europe, little red push pins sat in a few different cities they knew Klaus had taken them to. Several more yellow push pins sat in cities that they thought might have been a possibility for the future or maybe where they had already gone. There were far more yellow than red because after five days of Elena and Matt being taken, they still knew far less than they should have.

Addie sat quietly in front of the television watching cartoons and Bonnie worked on trying to make a small breakfast for everyone. It wasn't anything extravagant, just some eggs and toast, but she quickly learned that if she kept everyone fed, she felt useful.

Enzo stared at the maps, a cup of black coffee in hand. "Maybe they're in Amsterdam. There's a lot of good places to hide there and Klaus has connections. If they were in Brussels three days ago, it's not entirely impossible."

"Do you think they'll be there long?" Alaric asked. He'd remained at the cabin mostly out of concern for Damon. He made sure Damon was at least getting out of bed and showering each day.

"Probably not," Enzo whispered lowly so Damon couldn't overhear him. Damon already felt so hopeless and the last thing he needed was that kind of negativity, even if it was honest.

Rose had returned home yesterday to do some damage control with Giuseppe on Damon's behalf. She was also trying to keep the media at bay, considering Damon had been photographed in London when he was there. The gossip magazines were ripe with rumors about a secret love affair or a drug addiction. She needed to shut that shit down immediately.

They were all helping Damon the best they could. Even Addie, as much as she missed her mother, tried cheering him up with silly faces and knock-knock jokes that her Uncle Tyler taught her. None of it affected him at all.

Damon swung the door to the cabin open for some fresh air. He couldn't be in there with the rest of them anymore. The caring way they were all supporting him made the guilt worse. He didn't deserve any of it and if he had half a mind, he'd leave in the middle of the night. He'd rid them of him because everything he touched turned to shit.

But he couldn't leave yet because staying here with Enzo was his best chance to help find Elena and Matt. His trip to London taught him that he was not a one-man rescue machine. As much as he didn't deserve any help, he needed it.

He breathed in the fresh air and then felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans. He had an incoming video call from a blocked number and for the first time in a long time, he felt his heart speed up. His palms began to sweat and his breath quickened. This had to be Klaus.

When he answered it, Elena was sitting in a red chair, a blank white wall behind her. Nothing about the scenery told him anything about where she might be. She looked clean and unharmed, but completely emotionally crushed. She kept looking at someone who must have been holding up the phone.

"Elena! Elena, are you okay? Listen, I'm going to get you out of there," he started babbling, the first sign of life in his voice since he was in London. "Addie is safe. Your parents are safe. Stay strong. I love you. God, I love you. Please just stay strong for me."

Elena just shook her head in response, looking down at her hands in her lap. She looked up to the person holding the phone and he could see tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She stifled them quickly, wiping at her eyes with her fingers.

"I have to read what they wrote on these cards," she began, her voice shaky and her eyes still slightly watery. She focused her attention away from the camera as she read them with little emotion. "Damon, I am unharmed and being taken very good care of. I will remain this way so long as you cooperate. The people who have me are asking for three things in order for my safe return. The first is that you resign from UFC, the second is a public apology for the rumors you've spread regarding the reasons for your loss in last year's championship fight, and the third is that you leave your life behind you. Your family and your friends can never hear from you again. I can never hear from you again. If you try to contact anyone, they will take Adaline next time."

Despite the lack of quiver in her voice, her eyes gave it away. She was scared and she wanted him to cooperate, even if it meant that he'd be giving up everything that matters to him. He couldn't blame her for it. She had a daughter to think about. She'd made it very clear to him that Addie was the most important thing in her life. And if he was admitting it, she and her mother were now the most important thing in his. Saying goodbye to them, to his brother, to his best friend, to his career, it would all be well worth it to see that she was safe.

Elena then looked directly into the camera, clearly going off of the script that she had been given. "Damon, I love you too."

The camera panned around and the face of a man he didn't recognize appeared. He spoke with a thick Louisiana accent and Damon knew that was the man who'd hurt Tyler. "We'll call back in 24 hours for your answer."

"No need," Damon stated. "I'll do it." This was his chance to make it right and he was damn well going to take it, no hesitation necessary.

* * *

 **A/N: The theme of this chapter is defeat, complete and utter defeat for both of our main characters. They both start out very hopeful that they can fix the situation. Elena doesn't want to play along and she thinks she can escape. Damon thinks he can just go and get Elena from Klaus. They both have the accept the fact that they are unable to do those things and in doing so, admit defeat.**

 **I know this is sad and heavy and not at all what we want from our heroes, but they will make it to their happy ending eventually. I promise you.**

 **Thank you for all your words of encouragement. I re-read your comments when I need motivation to keep writing!**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi dear friends. I received a few comments from folks who were upset/frustrated/disappointed with the last couple of chapters. I do want to apologize if the story is not going where you want it go. If you don't want to continue reading, that's your choice and completely justifiable.**

 **The Octagon is my first foray into any kind of action or suspense (I generally write romance dramas) so there's bound to be some growing pains (or in the words of one guest reviewer: plot holes). I'm sorry that it isn't up to your expectations. Again, completely your choice to stop reading at any time. It won't hurt my feelings.**

 **Everyone else who's still here – You guys are awesome. Thank you for sticking with me while offering your advice, feedback, and constructive criticism along the way. I honestly did NOT want to write this chapter because I felt a little low on morale, but you all motivated me without even knowing it.**

 **This story has some twists and turns. Things probably won't go how you think they will or if you're a really good guesser, maybe they will. I'm delving into a darker place with The Octagon than my previous stories. I touched on that a little in the Author's Note before the prologue when I said that this Damon is more aggressive and broody than others I've written. That being said, even though we are in a darker place, we won't stay there forever. In fact, we won't even stay there as long as you'd probably expect.**

* * *

He had his instructions and now he had to make it happen. He took a drive in the Camaro to do some planning and get away from prying eyes. The first call Damon made was to Rose. He asked her to set up a press conference for tomorrow morning. He wouldn't tell her why. He wasn't actually allowed to tell her why and even if he were allowed to, she would have tried to stop him. He penned an email to send right after the press conference, saving it in the drafts folder on his phone, giving his official resignation from UFC.

And then he prepared himself to disappear. He drove along the winding mountain roads as he made calls to the bank to get his financial affairs in order. He secured a place for him to live up in Quebec where no one would find him if they ever came looking. It was all taken care of. He'd sleep well for the first time in days, knowing that after tomorrow, Elena and Matt would be returned safely.

When he returned to the cabin, tires crunching on dirt as he made his way up the driveway, his heart dropped. He would have to say his goodbyes. He'd have to say them without anyone knowing they were actually goodbyes and that was the first time he hesitated. He quickly reminded himself that this would be worth it. This was his chance to right his wrongs.

He bounded up the steps of the front porch and unlocked the front door with his key. No one paid him much mind at first as he flitted around the kitchen to make a sandwich. Enzo was concentrating on the maps on the wall, Alaric had gone for a run, while Bonnie was trying to get Addie down for a nap. It wasn't how he imagined he'd spend his last day in his old life, but he wasn't allowed to tell anyone it was his last day. And again, if he could tell them, they'd try to stop him.

"I know where they are," Enzo breathed out, his face intently staring at a map of Poland. He turned to look at Damon, who had just taken a bite out of his sandwich. "They're in Krakow."

Damon's face paled. He couldn't afford to give himself false hope, not when he was so close to bringing her back home. Even if they were in Krakow, they wouldn't be for long. At least that's what he was telling himself. That was the second time he hesitated. But then he reminded himself that there was no other way. They couldn't call the police. He couldn't reach her in time and he didn't have the firepower even if he did. Giving in to what Klaus wanted was the only way. He ignored Enzo and focused his attention back on his sandwich.

Addie woke up from her nap a little later, clutching her favorite blanket in her one hand as Bonnie led her through the hallway by the other. "Friend Damon," she said with a yawn. "When can I go home?"

"Soon, Princess. Soon." It was the same thing he'd been telling her for days. The difference this time was that it wasn't a lie. She'd be able to go home with Elena soon. All he had to do was keep up his end of the bargain. He extended his arms to her and she shyly crawled into his lap. He hadn't really held her since he'd come back from London, too disappointed with himself to get close to her.

As she rested her cheek against his chest, it felt nice to open himself up again. Addie knew nothing but unconditional and pure love. She trusted so easily. She trusted Damon more than anyone else had ever trusted him. He squeezed her tighter. "I'm sorry about all of this, Addie," he apologized, his voice cracking a little.

"It's okay," she said, trying to comfort him. "I'm brave like Momma. You just gotta be brave like Momma."

That was the third time he hesitated. Was he taking the coward's way out? If there was another way, if Enzo knew where they were and they could get there and have the element of surprise, could he get them back without having to bend to Klaus' will? He looked down at Addie and he didn't want to say goodbye. He squashed down that selfish pride, the same selfish pride that got them in this mess in the first place. Instead of trying to come up with some crazy over the top plan, he decided to just sit there and cuddle with Addie for as long as she'd let him.

"Bonnie, have you heard from Caroline recently?" Damon asked as she sat across from them in a green recliner.

"She called this morning. Stefan's doing well, but he's worried about you. Elena's parents are understandably worried about Elena. They want to call the police," Bonnie answered.

"They can't call the police," Damon interjected.

"Which is what Caroline told them," Bonnie shot back.

He responded with a nod.

Bonnie sighed. "You should call your brother. He's worried."

"Probably." He probably should, especially since today was pretty much the last day he'd be able to.

"Friend Damon?" Addie asked, lifting her head from his chest.

He looked down at her. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Can I get down now?"

He didn't want to let her go. He wanted to hold onto her until the very last minute. After all, she was half the reason he was doing this. Addie deserved to have her mother. Damon may not have had his anymore, but he could at least make sure Addie had hers. "Sure, you can," he said through a forced smile. He didn't want her last memories of him to be gloomy.

As Addie scampered off with Bonnie to go bake cupcakes, Damon sat back on the couch and tried to watch TV to relax his mind a little. Whatever show he finally settled on didn't really hold his interest and when Alaric came through the front door from his run, Damon wished to hell that he could have gone with him. The fresh air may have cleansed him and God knows, he needed to be cleansed right now.

"Don't be mad at me," Alaric said as he stepped through the front door and unzipped his blue hoodie. He tossed it on the back of the couch next to Damon's head.

"For the smell of your sweaty shirt next to my head?" Damon bit out, probably a little too harshly considering this was the last day he planned to spend with his best friend. He looked up at Alaric, who had Stefan and Giuseppe coming into the door behind him.

"Damon, this has gone on long enough, don't you think?" Giuseppe asked his son, slamming the front door shut.

Damon turned to Alaric. "You called him? Seriously, you called him?"

"I had to, D," Alaric tried to explain. "You can't do this without him."

"He just wants to help," Stefan tried to reason. "We want to help you get them back."

The anger coming off of him in waves may as well have been visible. Giuseppe Salvatore had never done an unselfish act in his entire life, let alone helped Damon without there being any strings attached. "Let me guess. This is all about getting your cash cow back into the gym before my next fight?" he accused his father rather pointedly.

"I'd be lying if I said no," he answered. "Damon, what's important here is that it's mutually beneficial for both of us if I help you. Think of it as a business arrangement." Giuseppe stepped forward and tried to offer a handshake to his son.

Damon pushed the hand away and stood from the couch. He sent a searing gaze over to his best friend and his brother. "If you two think I want to owe him anything else, then you clearly don't know me."

"You're letting your own pride prevent you from getting the woman you love back. Think about that," Stefan reasoned. "If you don't take him up on his offer, you're personally responsible for keeping her there with him."

Damon took quick steps, grabbed his keys and leather jacket from a hook on the wall, and shoved his feet into his boots. "Thanks for the guilt trip, brother. I'll get her back myself."

He let the door slam behind him loudly, surely loud enough that it echoed the walls of the tiny cabin. Whatever trepidations he'd had earlier in the day, they were gone now. The best plan, the only sure way he could get Elena and Matt home safely, was to do what he'd agreed to do. Stefan and Alaric trying to sell him down the river to Giuseppe, making him indebted to his asshole of a father for who knows how much longer, was the last proverbial straw.

The Camaro rode smoothly down the mountains and he blasted music during the drive back home. His heart was so confused. He was sad to leave, but it was worth it. Saying his goodbyes hadn't exactly gone the way he'd planned, but it'd have to do. In retrospect, he regretted storming out in anger. Not that he would have taken the deal, but that the last thing he said to Alaric and Stefan was so callous. And he hadn't even said anything to Enzo, not even one last thank you for everything he'd done for him this past week or so.

When Free Bird came on the radio, he allowed himself a small smile, thinking of the way Elena had laughed and sang it to him while sitting in the very seat he was in. He hoped to God that Elena would drive the Camaro after he was gone. Maybe she'd think of him fondly as she did it. He hoped she would. He glanced at the back seat, Addie's car seat still strapped firmly into place. Hopefully she'd spend a lot of time in this car too.

When he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building, he sighed. He killed the engine and headed inside, his footsteps heavy against the stairwell. His apartment was pretty much exactly as he'd left it, clothes strewn all over his bed from his hasty packing session, the eerie quiet and solitude noticeable after being packed into a small cabin with four other people for several days. He kicked off his boots and headed straight for the kitchen. He crouched down and dug to the back of the cabinet under the sink. His hands knocked over bottles of various cleaners in the process until they landed on a cool glass bottle wedged in the very back.

When he emerged with his unopened bottle of A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 Year, he blew the dust from the glass. He'd been saving this bourbon since he was 22 years old for a special occasion, but no occasion ever arose. And now he was just going to drink it because he'd be damned if he was leaving it behind too. He was already walking away from enough. It might have seemed like some fucked up logic, but he thought not leaving this behind might ease the pain a little.

So he poured a glass of it and he took a sip, savoring the rich flavors of caramel and vanilla. It offered a sweetness that wasn't overpowering, but was still full-flavored. He sighed in appreciation as the sip left an aftertaste of clove. It was the best damn bourbon he'd ever had on the worst damn day of his life. Yeah, today was worse than Vegas, worse than waking up in that hospital room, worse even than when he found out Elena was taken in the first place.

He sat at his kitchen table and poured glass after glass of the amber liquid. It took him three hours to finish the bottle and in between sips, he'd spin his phone around on the tabletop, ignoring incoming phone calls from Stefan, Alaric, his father, Enzo, and even Rose. Eventually, he just turned his phone off and laid it face down. He only concentrated on the bourbon after that.

* * *

"Looks like you're going home," Marcel sang as he began to blindfold Elena.

Matt stood beside of her, unshaven and covered in dirt. Elijah carefully blindfolded him at the same time.

"You okay, Matt?" Elena whispered as her eyesight went dark.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Are we really going home?"

"Afraid so," Klaus' voice spoke up. "Though I will miss your sweet company, Elena."

She felt his fingers softly stroke her cheek and her stomach lurched in disgust. Instinctually, she pulled away from him.

"Still a fighter, I see," Klaus said with a little pride. "I can why he was so enamored with you. You've got a strength that is so intriguing, Miss Gilbert. You know, the best part about this whole thing isn't that I'm getting to keep my title so easily. No, it's knowing that Damon's life will be absolutely ruined on top of everything else. He'll have to wake up every day alone, live out his days knowing you're out there and he can't have you."

Elena gritted her teeth, but didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction as she was led by her bound wrists. She'd learned rather quickly that Klaus said things to get a rise out of people and if she could deny him that, it was a small victory. She was lifted up and placed onto a cold surface. Once she heard the doors of a van swing shut and the engine start up, she tried to reach out and feel around at her surroundings. Luckily, they'd tied her hands in front this time around. She reached up and slid her blindfold down around her neck. It didn't help her vision, as the back of the van was mostly dark.

She touched the softness of Matt's tshirt, the same one he'd been wearing when they were taken. No matter how hard she had tried to bargain, she couldn't get Klaus to agree to give Matt the luxury of a shower or clean clothes. She had no idea if they were alone in the back of the van. Marcel could have been looming over them in the darkness for all she knew, but she took the chance to speak anyways.

"Matt, I'm so sorry about this. It's my fault," she apologized. "When we get home, I'll make this up to you."

"It's okay, Elena." Matt's voice was strong, not a drop of hesitation in his voice as he tried to reassure her.

She shook her head as she lifted her hands and lowered his blindfold as well. "It isn't. You keep saying that, but I know it isn't. Things won't be the same after this."

Matt reached out his own bound wrists and took her hands into his. "They'll be different, but we'll make it through. You're a survivor, Elena."

They spent the rest of the ride in silence holding hands, their bodies jarring about in the back of the van with the bumps in the road. When the van came to a stop and the doors swung open, the sunshine almost blinded her. When her eyes readjusted, she saw that they were parked on an airfield and a jet was directly in front of them.

"Damon would be pretty upset if he knew you were canoodling in the back of a van with Golden Boy," Marcel snipped. He pulled at Elena's wrists to get her out of the van. "You," he said to Matt. "You stay put. I'll be back for you."

Elena cooperated as Marcel roughly dragged her behind him on the blacktop. He was being forceful and she wondered why Klaus hadn't stepped in yet. Usually if Marcel was too rough with her, he'd make a crack about bruising the merchandise. She'd almost been prepared to roll her eyes at the oncoming comment, but it never came. Then she realized it was just Marcel. Elijah and Klaus were nowhere to be found.

"I gotta admit. I'm sad to see you go, Elena," Marcel told her. "You think the boss would mind too much if I got myself a little taste on the plane ride home?"

"Hands on your head! Hands on your head!" a commanding voice yelled, but she couldn't see where it was coming from.

"We've got company," Marcel whispered into her ear. He didn't pause, continuing to jerk her along by her wrists towards the airplane.

"There's nowhere to escape and we are prepared the use deadly force if necessary!" the same voice yelled again. "Hands on your head!"

Marcel let go of Elena's wrists and made to put his hands up slowly. Instead, he grabbed a gun from his waist and aimed it at a man who was crouching behind a wooden crate. That must have been who was ordering him to surrender.

"Run that way," the man said to Elena as he nodded his head to the right, his own gun trained on Marcel. "Run."

Elena's legs took off before she had a chance to think. She didn't know who that man was and she didn't know what she was running towards, but she knew the man she was running from and that was enough. She ran until she collided with a firm chest that stopped her in her path. As she looked up, she met the face of another man. He was dressed in full tactical gear, a semi-automatic weapon slung over his shoulder with a strap. He looked terrifying and she was really hoping he was on her side.

"Miss Gilbert, we work for the Salvatores and we're here to take you home," he spoke in an assertive and professional tone.

She'd waited so long to hear those words. Damon hadn't given up after all. The cavalry was finally here. "My friend, Matt, he's still in the van." She pointed to the black van sitting on the blacktop and it was then that she started to hear gunfire being exchanged.

Marcel had fired his weapon at the man behind the crate, which unleashed about ten men from hiding spots around the airstrip to fire back at him. She watched in horror as they took him down, the bullets flying so closely to the van Matt was stuck in. Her face dropped. What if he got hit by a bullet? They were this close to getting away and if he didn't make it, she'd never forgive herself.

"You have to get him out of there! Please!" she begged the man standing beside her.

Moments later, the gunfire ceased. There were a few moments of silence as the men all dressed in similar tactical gear descended inward toward Marcel, who was lying on the blacktop motionless. Elena held her breath until one of them raised his hand into the air as some sort of signal. "Clear!" he yelled.

She tried to run towards the van, but the man next to her slipped his hand around her bicep the moment her feet started to move forward. "We don't know if the area is secure, Miss Gilbert. I need you to stay with me."

"Can someone check on Matt?" she tried to yell towards the men, but they were so far away.

The man next to her spoke into a device on his wrist. "This is Whitmore. I've got Miss Gilbert here. The other hostage is in the van. Over."

She watched as a few of the men shuffle their way over to the bullet hole ridden van and opened the doors to the back of it.

"Other hostage is secure and unharmed. Over," a voice came through the speaker.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. They could go home. They were free.

* * *

The lights of the cameras almost blinded Damon as he took his spot behind the podium at the press conference. The room was really warm and right now he wished that he hadn't put on this stupid suit. He glanced down at the paper he'd written his speech on, the speech that would be the first step in freeing Elena and Matt.

"When Klaus Mikaelson defeated me in Las Vegas," he began, but paused. He took the piece of paper in his hands and balled it up.

Rose, who was standing behind him, took a step forward to stop him. He still hadn't told her what this press conference was about, but she could sense when he was about to crash and burn. She tried swooping in to save him. He held up a hand to stop her and she took quiet steps back to where she'd been standing.

He looked back up with determination. "I had a whole thing prepared to say to all of you," he spoke. "I think I'm just going to wing it though. There are certain things in life that are just too important to ignore, like love. I used to think love was a waste of time. I used to think that I didn't have time for that kind of thing, but I've recently changed my mind. Love makes you full. It makes you better. It makes life worth living. It changes you."

Rose stepped forward again, her red hair perfectly styled and her heels clacking against the stage floor. She covered the microphone with her hand and whispered to him. "Damon, where are you going with this?"

"Just let me finish," he told her, his eyes pleading. He needed to get this out. If Elena would never see him again, he needed her to know how he felt.

She removed her hand from the microphone and stepped back, not as far back as she was originally, but enough to give him some space to continue speaking.

He cleared his throat. "Everything is different now. I'm different now. And it's because of her. So what I'm about to say next, I understand the consequences of it. I understand that this will likely end my career and end my life as I know it and I am completely okay with that."

Then he saw Rose's hand clamp around the microphone again and he was about to turn around and respectfully tell her to step the fuck back, but she spoke before he could. "Damon, Elena is on television. They found her," she whispered into his ear and pointed to a TV mounted on the wall across from them.

A picture of Elena flashed across the screen followed by a new reporter sitting at a desk. The volume was on mute, but he squinted his eyes to try to read the subtitles.

 _A local kidnapped man and woman were found unharmed in Krakow, Poland by a private security team. The pair were being held by Marcel Gerard, an ex-employee of UFC champion Klaus Mikaelson's security team. Authorities are still investigating the link between Gerard and Mikaelson. WHGP News 10 will keep you apprised of any new information as it is released._

"I have to go," Damon said to no one in particular. He tore his eyes away from the TV screen, stepped back from the podium, and ran out of the press room. His feet didn't stop until he made it to his car. His tires squeaked as he peeled out of the parking lot.

With his tie and suit jacket discarded into the backseat, he opened his glove box and snatched his phone, which was still turned off from last night, out of it. He held down the power button until the screen came back to life and immediately a barrage of voicemails and texts flooded onto the screen. Without reading any of them, he called Stefan.

"We tried calling you last night, Damon. I even went over and banged on your apartment door, but you didn't answer," Stefan's voice sounded from the phone. "Enzo found them and Dad sent a team to retrieve them."

"Where is she now?" Damon asked, desperately. At the moment, he couldn't be bothered to care about what his father would want in exchange for this. He couldn't care less what the consequences of that car crash of a press conference would be. He just need to get his arms around Elena. He needed to physically touch her, to know that this was real and she was really safe.

"On a plane that's landing at Washington Dulles in twenty minutes. Gate six, I think," Stefan answered. "Caroline, Bonnie, and Addie are waiting at the airport with Enzo."

He made a sharp left to get to the highway so he could meet the plane when it landed.

"The FBI wants to talk to her when she lands," Stefan reminded him. "She can't just go home right away."

"I'm not an idiot, Stefan. I know that." Damon merged onto the highway and into the far left lane. He opened the Camaro up, almost hitting 100 miles an hour as he weaved in and out of cars. "I just need to see for myself."

Without saying a goodbye, he hung up the phone and flung it into the passenger seat. He put both hands on the wheel and focused on driving towards Washington Dulles, towards Elena. What would he say when he saw her? Sorry wouldn't even begin to cover it. No amount of fuck-up flowers would even scratch the surface. If she blamed him completely for this, the blame wouldn't be misplaced. Maybe she didn't even want to see him. But he wouldn't know unless he tried.

He parked in the parking garage, level 8 to be exact, and threw open the driver's side door. As his shoes hit the pavement and his feet carried him forward to the airport, he looked for the signs to the arrivals terminal. When he found her gate, he arrived just in time to see her come through the little door from the jetbridge. He watched on as Addie jumped down from Caroline's arms and took a running leap at her mother. Elena's face lit up in a smile as she was reunited with her daughter. She picked her up and spun her around in circles, cradling her like she was the most precious thing on Earth.

Matt stood behind her, looking worse for the wear than the unharmed Elena. He had a busted lip and a blackened right eye and he winced from an unseen injury when Bonnie enveloped him into a huge bear hug. Caroline was smiling, chatting away to all of them in what was probably an attempt to get everyone's mind off of the traumatic week. It was a family reunion in every sense of the word and standing there, he felt like an invader.

Satisfied for now with just seeing that she was here and safe with his own two eyes, he turned on his heel. His presence right now would only serve as a reminder of everything that had happened and if he blamed himself this much for what happened, he couldn't imagine how much she blamed him. As quickly as he navigated to the gate, he started to leave. Maybe he could come visit her later when she settled at her house. Maybe he should just call her and let her decide if she wanted to see him. He wasn't sure.

"Damon!" her sweet voice called out to him.

He debated whether to turn around or not, but when he felt her delicate fingers wrap around his wrist and tug, she didn't give him much of a choice. With a mountain of guilt on his shoulders, he turned to face her and to his surprise, she was smiling at him as she had at Addie, Bonnie, and Caroline. She laced her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you for taking care of Addie. Thank you for finding me and getting me out of there," she breathed into his ear. "Thank you for outsmarting him and not giving in."

She had no idea that he'd done just that. He was ready to throw in the towel. Hell, he was in the middle of surrendering while she was in a plane on the way home. He let his hands ghost around her waist, but he didn't respond to set the record straight. He would eventually. He'd tell her everything, but not yet.

"Miss Gilbert," a man in suit interrupted their embrace with a clearing of his throat. He flashed a badge at her. "I'm Agent Wilson from the Federal Bureau of Investigations. I apologize for ambushing you so quickly after you landed, but we need to find Klaus Mikaelson as soon as we can and we can't do that without your cooperation."

Elena shoved her pockets into her jeans shyly at the mention of Klaus' name. "Well I'm not sure how much help I can be, but I'd be happy to answer some questions. I don't want him to get away with this."

Damon was in awe of the strength of this woman. A lesser person would have been distraught, catatonic even after what she'd gone through. Elena was just happy to be home and ready to cooperate with the authorities. She was determined. It was incredible.

All the while, he was still very broken.

"Any information we can get from you will help us, ma'am," Agent Wilson assured her. "We'll escort you to the department and get some protective detail outside your house. As long as Mikaelson is in the wind, we'll keep you safe."

Damon bit into his lip until he drew blood. Keeping her safe was supposed to be his job, but he failed so miserably at it. And to make it worse, she wasn't even mad at him for it. She just wanted to move forward.

"Sure," Elena said. Addie had come over to link hands with her mother at some point and she looked down adoringly at the toddler. "I appreciate it, Agent Wilson."

He watched as Addie, Elena, and Matt walked towards the airport exit with Agent Wilson and another female FBI agent. Enzo came up and slapped him aggressively on the back.

"Told you we'd find them, mate," he spoke.

"We should get over to Elena's house. I know it'd make her feel better if she came home to a clean house and some meals in the freezer," Caroline suggested. "May ease the transition."

"Good idea," Bonnie added in. "I don't want her worrying about the garage either. Maybe we can stop by there on the way and get a sense of things. The last thing I want is her stressing about the fact that it's been closed for the past week."

As he listened to the two of them making plans to help Elena, he kept his eyes on the retreating forms in front of him. At the last minute, as she stepped outside into the sunshine, she turned her head and gave him a small smile.

This particular brand of guilt was going to eat him alive.

* * *

Elena sat alone in an interview room at a nearby FBI office. She'd been hesitant to let Addie out of her sight, but Agent Wilson's partner, Agent Foster, had set her up with a juice box and some Barbies. Addie liked that Agent Foster looked like Cinderella and at least Matt was out there while she was doing her interview. They'd switch out after she was done.

She crossed her wrists on the cold steel table in front of her and leaned back into the hard chair. She was facing a two-way mirror, unsure who was watching on the other side. Being reunited with her friends and family was strange. There were moments when she thought she'd never hold her daughter again and yet she was able to swing her around to hear her soft laughter once again. The sight of Bonnie's smile was something she would appreciate a little more now. The smell of Caroline's Chanel perfume invaded her senses and was reminiscent of the feeling of home. The feel of Damon's embrace was something she'd dreamt about in the darker times and feeling it again lived up to the hype.

She'd called her parents on the ride from the airport and Miranda answered the phone after half a ring like she'd been waiting next to it all day. It was a tear filled conversation in which she had to promise Miranda and Grayson repeatedly that she was fine, that she was unharmed, and that everything was going to be okay.

But was she really fine? She wasn't so sure. She needed to be strong now. She had to get her life back in order and make sure the man who did this to her would suffer the consequences. It'd been such a rush of emotions after being rescued from that airstrip. She was so relieved and happy and focused on getting home that she hadn't thought about what would happen after things quieted down again. Could they ever really be the same?

"Miss Gilbert," Agent Wilson's voice sliced through the silence as he entered the small room. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but we thought we may have had a lead."

"It's fine," she assured him with a small smile. "So, how can I help?"

Agent Wilson switched on a video camera next to them and sat down across from her. "Well, sometimes it's easiest to start from the beginning. Let's talk about the day they took you."

"It was a normal day at the garage. I had to go up front to cover for our receptionist, Bonnie, while she ran upstairs to grab some papers. I heard the door swing open and when I looked up to greet the customers like I normally would, I saw Klaus. He had two men I didn't recognize with him. I asked them to leave. Klaus and my boyfriend don't get along," Elena said, being sure to include as much detail as possible.

"Damon Salvatore is your boyfriend, correct?" Agent Wilson clarified for the camera.

"Yes."

"Please continue, Miss Gilbert."

"I told them I would call the police if they didn't leave, but they approached me instead. I had my hands ready to call 911 when the three of them started to drag me out from behind the desk. I tried to hang onto whatever I could, but my grip wasn't strong enough." Tears brimmed in her eyes, tears that she'd been fighting off for days now.

"You're safe now, Miss Gilbert." Agent Wilson handed her a tissue from a box on the table. "Can you please tell me what happened next?"

She nodded. "My friends tried to pull me away from them."

"Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood?"

"Yes. One of them, Marcel, he hit Tyler so hard." It was then that she realized she had no idea if Tyler was even okay. "Is Tyler alright?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "Mr. Lockwood is recovering in the hospital, but he'll be okay. We were there speaking with him this morning and got his statement."

Elena breathed a sigh of relief. At least Tyler would pull through. She'd thought of him often when she was being held captive. "They couldn't pry Matt off of me so they took him too. I remember being pricked with a needle in the neck and after that, I woke up on a plane."

It was difficult to give her statement without crying. She tried to remember as many details as she could, to make it more thorough and helpful so that the FBI could find Klaus and Elijah as quickly as possible. Agent Wilson was good about asking for more detail when needed. As she recalled her time bouncing from house to house in Europe, her stomach twisted into knots. Next to watching Matt being assaulted, the Skype call with Damon had been one of the worst parts.

"At that point, I'd given up on escaping. I'd given up on being found. I wanted him to surrender," she said, as she talked about making the call. "I just wanted to come home."

Her tears were inconsolable at this point. That was the guilt she'd carry around forever. In that moment, deep down, she'd wanted Damon to sacrifice everything for her. She'd begged him with her eyes to do it and that kind of selfishness would eat away at her for God knows how long. She could only be thankful that he hadn't listened to her, that he'd found another way when it seemed like there wasn't one.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert," Agent Wilson said kindly as he turned the video camera off. He reached for her hand to try to comfort her. "I know it's been an extremely long day for you and you probably want to get home. We've got a car ready to take you and your daughter there. There's agents outside your home and it's secure."

She nodded, trying to wipe the tears away with the back of her hand. After a few lingering sniffles, she stood from her chair. She couldn't let Addie see her upset because then she'd be upset. Before Agent Wilson opened the door to let her out, she plastered a manufactured smile onto her face. When the door swung open, she held her arms out for Addie.

"Little muchkin!" she yelled. "Let's get you home. What do you say?"

Addie looked up from the Barbie dolls and smiled. She turned her head to Matt. "Uncle Matt? Will you come visit us soon?"

He nodded his head and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Of course, squirt." He stood and walked over to Elena. "Are you okay?"

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and nodded. Maybe if she kept saying it, she would feel it. Then she pulled Matt in for a hug and another apology.

"Stop apologizing. It isn't your fault," he whispered into her ear as he squeezed her tightly. "There's three people responsible for this and one is dead. Do not carry this blame around with you."

Elena nodded again, trying to let the words sink in. They didn't really change anything, but it was nice to hear them. She pulled away from Matt and held out her hand for Addie. "You ready?"

The little girl nodded her head and they joined hands.

Agent Foster drove the two of them home in the back of a black Lincoln town car. The windows were so tinted that it was impossible to see inside the car if you were passing by it. Addie talked up a storm to her mother about how much she missed her and how she'd gone to the lake with Damon and Bonnie while she was gone. She didn't quite understand in her young mind what had really happened and that was okay with Elena.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter was originally pushing over 11k words, which I thought was a bit overwhelming. Once I started to write, I couldn't stop and it just kept on flowing out so in the interest of resolving the cliffhanger from last chapter, I've posted this. It was a natural break in the story and it seemed like a good place to leave things for the time being.**

 **The next chapter is still being written, but it's well over 4k already and climbing. If you're still with me after this chapter, I think you'll really love me by the end of the next one. Or maybe you won't. I'm not the boss of you.**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: New chapter! Yay!**

* * *

"We're just happy that you're back," Miranda said as she pulled Elena into an overbearing hug and squeezed her entirely too tight.

"Miranda, we don't want to overwhelm her," Grayson said, trying to intervene.

Elena was standing in her living room surrounded by people she loved and knew, along with a few people from town who were friends with her parents. There were about five FBI agents stationed outside her house. Caroline had been hesitant to call this a welcome home party because those kinds of things were usually reserved for when someone came back from a vacation or a leisurely trip so she was simply referring to this as "a small gathering of friends and family". Which is essentially what a lot of people called funerals nowadays, but Elena didn't want to burst her bubble.

Elena stifled a yawn and sipped on a mug of coffee. It didn't matter that the sun had set by this point in the evening. If she had to be her charming and entertaining self, she needed the caffeine.

After Agent Foster dropped them off at home yesterday evening, Elena had gotten Addie ready for bedtime and then immediately passed out in the princess bed with her. She didn't realize how exhausted she was until she laid down to read Addie a bedtime story. The next thing she knew, she'd woken up from a nightmare at three in the morning with Addie cuddled into a little ball next to her. Needless to say, she hadn't really slept a lot.

The morning that followed had been hectic. Her parents were knocking at her door by 8am, anxious to wrap their arms around her. Her overprotective little brother, Jeremy, drove back from college just to make sure she was safe. When she explained to him that she had FBI agents watching over her constantly and that she was fine, he insisted on spending the night with her anyways.

Caroline rang her doorbell at noon, her arms full of grocery bags with a plan to have a small gathering to celebrate her safe return. Bonnie showed up a little later with beers in hand and Enzo in tow. She'd be sure to ask what that was all about at a later time. Finally Matt and Tyler came by around six and even though Tyler was still healing, he managed to throw a few jokes around at Caroline's expense.

Damon was noticeably absent. In fact, she hadn't heard from him since the airport and part of her was starting to think that he maybe resented her for asking him to give in to Klaus' demands. She'd imagined that he'd be waiting on her doorstep when she got home from the FBI office, but that simply wasn't the case. And now he was a no-show to the gathering. Caroline said she'd told Stefan to invite him, but the Salvatores weren't there.

Elena's hand clutched the coffee mug like it was her lifeline. After about an hour of everyone tiptoeing around what happened and trying to entertain her with small talk, she couldn't take it anymore. She took a sip from her mug. "I think I'm planning on reopening the garage in a couple of days," she told her father.

"Oh sweetheart, don't you think that's too soon?" Miranda interjected in her ever-caring tone. "You just got home. You should settle back in first."

"I think getting back to business as usual is the best thing for me right now," Elena countered. "And besides, I need the money. Matt, Tyler, and Bonnie do too."

"Stop worrying about me!" Bonnie said as she clinked her beer bottle with Elena's mug. "I've got money saved up. We'll reopen when you're ready."

"Well I'm ready now. I just want to get underneath a car," Elena said. "My hands are restless."

The sound of Addie's joyous laughter could be heard over the chatter and low music in the house. Elena looked over to see that Matt was holding her in his arms. They were dancing along to the music in the middle of her kitchen and his busted lip didn't seem as noticeable as he smiled and twirled her around. Of all the things Matt missed when they were held captive, she thought that he probably missed Addie the most.

"We just don't want you to push yourself too hard too soon is all," Miranda said as she placed a hand on Elena's shoulder to get her attention back.

"I can run things for a little while at the garage, if needed," Grayson offered.

She shook her head. "No way, Dad. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Well, the offer still stands."

Elena thanked him and gave Miranda another tight hug before venturing off into the kitchen. Matt was still holding Addie and the two of them twirled around to see her standing next to the counter. "Seems like you two are having fun," she smiled at them.

"Momma! Uncle Matt said that he'll get me a Susie Sings-a-lot for my birthday!" Addie exclaimed.

"Oh, he did?" Elena said, arching an eyebrow.

The little girl nodded her head with fervor. "Yep!"

"I cannot believe you'll be four next month," Elena said with a laugh. She held her hands out to grab Addie and her daughter practically lept into her arms from Matt's. "Don't assume you'll get everything you're asking for, okay? Susie Sings-a-lots are hard to come by these days and I don't want you to be sad if we can't find one."

"I brought it up. We've been planning her birthday party," Matt defended as he grabbed a can of soda from the fridge.

Addie chimed in excitedly. "I want a bouncy house!"

"I bet you do," Elena replied. "Knowing our luck, you'd break your ankle in that thing."

"Please, Momma? Please?" She jutted her bottom lip out and the sight melted Elena's heart.

"I'll see what I can do."

Addie cheered out loudly and then hopped out Elena's arms to go find her Uncle Jeremy. As her little feet pitter-pattered across the linoleum of the kitchen floor, Elena called after her to tell her to stop running in the house. Of course, her stubborn little girl barely listened.

* * *

The Salvatore brothers sat next to each other on barstools as Bree refilled their rocks glasses with Wild Turkey. Usually Damon would have invited Alaric along to help him drown his sorrows in bourbon, but he figured he owed the man a break. Alaric had been babysitting him for the past week. It was time to let the man sleep.

In the interest of not drinking alone, Damon called Stefan. Fearing that Damon was still unspeakably angry with him, his baby brother was all too willing to meet him at the familiar dive bar. That's just how Stefan was, always willing to patch things up. It was kind of annoying how perfect he was.

"Good thing Rose was able to schmooze her way out of that press conference, huh?" Stefan asked him. "We all thought that was going to be a disaster and then she worked her magic."

"That's what I pay her the big bucks for," Damon said with a smirk. "Always covering my ass when I need it." He glanced down at his hand. The last scabs from his temper tantrum after _Dish and Dine with Andie_ were finally healing over.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" Stefan asked as he took a tentative sip of the liquor. This was already his third glass.

"You got her back, despite my own stupidity, so no," Damon answered. "I'm not mad at you. I am, however, curious as hell about how indebted I'll be to you know who after all of this."

"Dad spent a lot of money on that security team."

He scoffed. "And I'm sure he'll make sure I know about it."

Stefan pulled his buzzing phone from the pocket of his khakis and frowned at the screen. "Are you sure you don't want to go to Elena's house? Caroline keeps asking where we are."

"Stefan, I was going to walk away from everything. I was going to give up and she thinks I'm the one that saved her." Damon slammed the rest of his drink back and set the glass onto the bartop with a clang.

"Hey now, Damon Salvatore. Don't you go breaking my glassware," Bree said as she came over to refill his double Wild Turkey.

"Sorry, sweetness," he smiled at her, a smile that was a pathetic attempt to cover up his pain. "Rough week."

Bree nodded. "I know. I saw the news. Your girl's okay though?"

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Not that he would know," Stefan gritted out.

Damon snapped his head around to look at his younger brother. Shy and demure Stefan never said anything that would intentionally cause an argument and here he was trying his best attempt at showing tough love. "Excuse me, brother?"

"And that's my cue to be somewhere else," Bree said, scurrying off to tend to the other customers at the bar.

"You heard me," Stefan said, swigging on his glass.

"You know," Damon said, pointing a finger at Stefan. "I think I liked you better when you didn't drink."

Stefan ignored him and continued on. "She needs you, Damon. Now more than ever. Instead, you're busy here feeling sorry for yourself."

"She doesn't need me. She looked like she was bouncing back just fine." He stared at the contents of his tumbler and swished it around in circles. "Elena's stronger than me. She's going to be alright without me. Hell, she'll be better off without me."

"If you don't go over there, you'll regret it." He slapped a hand onto Damon's back in encouragement.

That was the straw that made Damon lash out. If he'd known that calling Stefan was going to result in a lecture, he would have just sat here alone instead. All the pain and anger and guilt he was holding onto unleashed in that moment. It was entirely misplaced on Stefan, but he just happened to be there. "You don't know anything about regret, brother. Your little charmed life doesn't allow for that so why don't you climb back in your Porsche that you bought with our father's money, call the nice girlfriend that I set you up with, and fuck her in the expensive silk sheets that you bought from the money you made off of me? Because I'm done getting advice from someone who's never had to work for anything in their fucking life."

Fire burned in Stefan's green eyes as he slid from his barstool. "You're a real asshole, Damon." He tossed some cash onto the car to cover his tab, grabbed his jacket, and stormed out.

"I guess even Saint Stefan reaches his limit every now and then," Damon shrugged to himself. He tipped the bottom of his glass towards the ceiling, trying to get the last couple drops out of the bottom. They dripped onto his tongue and the familiar burn was comforting. He held his empty glass up to get Bree's attention.

She walked over and stood across the bartop from him. When she reached for his hand to comfort him, he snatched it away.

"Oh, not you too," he drunkingly slurred. "I've had enough of the fucking advice and hovering and blah blah blah."

"I'm cutting you off, sweetheart," Bree said kindly. "You've had almost a whole bottle to yourself and you need to go home to sleep it off."

She didn't want to serve him anymore? Fine. He had plenty of liquor at home and at least there he didn't have to put up with anyone's mouth. He stood from the stool to take out his keys and stumbled a little when he tried to reach into the pocket of his black jeans for his wallet. He was so unfocused on what he was doing that his reflexes didn't fire when Bree snatched his keys from him. Swaying side to side, he held out his hand for them.

"I'm serious, Bree. Give me my keys."

"And be responsible for you wrapping that pretty blue car around a telephone pole?" she said as she tossed them next to the liquor display behind her. "Call someone to come get you."

He rolled his eyes as he dug out his phone from his leather jacket. He had a text from Elena asking if he was coming over and he typed out a misspelled response to her. Thank God for autocorrect in times of drunkenness.

 _At bar. Going home._

He started to scroll through to look for Rose's name. She was about the only person he hadn't pushed away yet so maybe she'd come get him if he asked really nicely. As his finger was about to dial her, he got another incoming text message from Elena.

 _Can you drive? Want me to come pick you up?_

She was being entirely too helpful and entirely too nice to him. He didn't deserve her time or her kindness. He drafted a message telling her no, but she texted him again before he could send it.

 _Give me an excuse to get out of this house for a while. It's overwhelming._

He deleted what he'd written. If he could squash down his own guilt to make her feel better for a short period of time, then that's what he needed to do. If Alaric were here, he'd tell him to suck it up and be there for her. Damon wasn't sure he could do that, but he could at least try. He typed out a different reply and sent it.

 _Okay. I'm at Corner Bar._

He looked up at Bree, who was looking at him and twirling the keys to the Camaro around her index finger with a smile. "Someone's coming to get me," he grouchily said to her, holding out his hand for his keys.

"And I look forward to handing your keys over to whoever that is," she responded. She filled a pint glass with ice water and set it in front of where he was standing. "Now drink up."

* * *

Thankful for an excuse to get out of there, Elena excused herself from the conversation. She grabbed the keys to her CR-V and started to bundle herself up to go outside.

With her blue scarf tied securely around her neck and her coat zipped up high, she found Bonnie before she left. She was sitting in the corner of the living room laughing with Enzo about some inside joke. Since when did Bonnie Bennett have inside jokes with this guy? She quirked her eyebrow a little and Bonnie gave her a look that said she'd explain later.

"Do me a favor and get everyone out of here?" Elena asked her friend.

"Where are you dressed to escape to?" Bonnie responded, eyeing Elena's outfit.

"I'm going to see Damon. Jeremy's staying here tonight so he volunteered for babysitting duty."

"Is he sulking?" Enzo chimed in.

Bonnie elbowed him in the ribs. "None of your business," she whispered to him through clenched teeth.

Elena dug her hands into the back pocket of her jeans and rocked back on her heels. "I'm not sure. Kind of what I'm going to figure out. I haven't really heard from him since he met us at the airport."

"Well don't worry. We'll get the place cleared out and we'll make sure Jeremy gets Addie to bed at a decent hour." As if Bonnie could sense the uncomfortable tension in the air, the sense of unresolved thoughts and feelings, she clapped her hands together to get to work.

"Thank you," Elena gave her a hug and waved a goodbye to Enzo, who had to have been the coolest guy Bonnie had ever been interested in. She double checked everything with Miranda and Grayson, who were just as excited to spend time with Addie as they had been to see her. Before she made for the front door, she found Addie sitting at the dining room table with Matt and Tyler. They were playing Go Fish. She kissed her daughter on the cheek and gave a hug to both of her friends.

As she opened the front door, she was met with Stefan's grimace. His jaw was clenched and cold rain pelted behind him as he stood under the safety of her front stoop.

"He called you to come get him?" Stefan asked, looking surprised.

"I offered," Elena replied. "Why is that so unexpected?"

"No reason," Stefan said, softening his expression. "How are you doing, by the way? We were all really worried for you and Matt, still are to be honest."

Elena shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. If she had a dollar for every time someone asked her if she was okay, she'd be able to open a second garage. "I'm fine," she lied through a heavy smile. "Caroline's inside if you're looking for her. I've got to get going."

"Right, of course." Stefan stepped aside to let Elena through and he made his way inside to find Caroline.

She slammed the front door of her house closed behind her. She stood for a moment under her front stoop, her arms crossed at her chest as she looked out at the rain drops. It was a short walk to get to her car, which was miraculously not blocked by all of the cars in the driveway.

A man in a suit stepped out of a black car parked along the street and raised an umbrella above his head. "Miss Gilbert, is everything okay?"

The FBI agents parked outside her house were yet another reminder that though she was home, things were not okay and they definitely were not back to normal. She took a breath. "I don't suppose there's any way you'd let me get in my car and not follow me?"

"Miss Gilbert, you're under federal protection for your own safety," he warned, stepping towards her so that she could hear him better.

"I'm aware."

"We can't protect you if we don't know where you are," he continued on.

"But I'm not being held captive? I can ask you not to follow me?" she countered, her legs shivering from the cold.

He nodded. "Technically yes, but –"

She sighed, interrupting him. "Can you all just stay here with my brother and my daughter? I'd feel better if they had as many people watching over them as possible."

The FBI agent looked back at the black car as if he was asking for permission from someone else. He turned back around. "We can do that."

"Thank you, Agent." Elena took long and quick steps to her car, climbing into the driver's seat. She backed out of her driveway and as she requested, she didn't see any headlights trailing behind her car. It may have been absolutely, positively stupid to forgo her FBI detail, but she just wanted to feel normal for a few hours. Was that too much to ask?

As she navigated the streets from the suburbs into downtown, she wondered just exactly which version of Damon she'd be walking in on. It was odd that he hadn't heard from him when he'd gone through so much to get her back. Maybe he really was upset at her for what she'd asked him to do. She couldn't blame him if he was. Or maybe it was something else entirely. She wasn't sure what exactly she'd be walking into.

All day her family and friends had been counting on her to reassure them that she was functioning just fine. They knew how strong she was and they were depending on her resilience. No one really knew what to do with an Elena who was broken. And yet that's how she felt. She felt totally and completely broken. Damon was the one person who she didn't have to hide that from. He'd promised to take care of her, in a way that she'd hadn't allowed anyone else to do before.

The dimly lit parking lot next to Corner Bar was almost full and she parked her car into the last open spot. She pulled the hood of her heavy coat over her head to shield her from the cold winter rain as her boots splashed in the puddles on the pavement. When she darted past Damon's Camaro on her way inside, she knew she was in the right place.

She pulled the weatherworn wooden door open by the handle and the smell of stale cigarettes mixed with beer nuts wafted through her nostrils. As she gazed around the full bar, she saw his raven hair. It was messy and looked like it hadn't been brushed in days. She neared the back of him, his shoulders slumped and his hand holding a glass of water that was mostly still full. Condensation on the glass told her he'd been holding it for a while.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said.

He slowly turned his head around and she was met with red, tired eyes. Had he slept at all since she was taken?

"Before you take me home, you should know that I was going to do it," he blurted out to her.

She took a couple steps closer to him and she could smell the bourbon oozing out of his pores. It didn't deter her from reaching out for him and she let her fingertips settle at the nape of his neck. She played lazily with the hair there, twisting it between her fingers. "What are you talking about?" she asked, searching his eyes for an answer.

"I was going to give in to Klaus' demands. I had it all planned out. I gave up, Elena. I'm not the kind of person you think I am." He hung his head low in shame, letting out a breath from deep in his lungs.

She laughed. She couldn't help it. She had to. Was that was this was all about? He thought she'd be disappointed that he wasn't strong enough? The sacrifice that he was willing to make for her showed more strength than she had in her right pinky. He would have left it all behind just to make sure she was safe. That was a love deeper than anything she'd ever expected out of this relationship. Elena stifled her laughter as Damon furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"Thank you for being willing to make that kind of sacrifice," she told him.

His brow furrowed even further. "You don't think I'm a coward for wanting to give up?"

"I think we were put into an impossible situation and you did the best thing you thought you could do." Then she admitted the thing that had been weighing on her since that Skype call. Her other hand lacing around his neck and pulling his forehead to press against hers, she whispered it so quietly that it was barely audible over the bar chatter surrounding them. "How would you feel if I told you that I wanted you to take the deal?"

He closed his eyes, his long lashes fluttering against his cheeks, and ghosted a kiss onto her cheek. "I don't blame you for that at all. You were scared and you have Addie to think about. I was the reason you were there in the first place, Elena. I'm so sorry."

"Shh. We're not placing blame on anyone but Klaus. At least that's what Matt keeps telling me," she interrupted his apology and despite the fact that he'd let her off the hook, the guilt still lingered there.

"So we're okay? You don't hate me?" he asked her.

She pulled away from him to look into his eyes. "Despite the fact that Klaus did everything in his power to drive us apart, that's the one thing he did not succeed at. Maybe I'm crazy, but you're not getting rid of me Damon Salvatore so stop trying."

A smile, a genuine smile pulled across his lips up to his tired eyes. "I love you too."

Bree jingled Damon's car keys in her hand, the sound snapping them out of their little bubble. "I take it you're his ride?" she said as she held them out to Elena.

"That's me," Elena said, grinning at her. She took the keys from her and extended her hand for a handshake. "I'm Elena Gilbert."

"Oh honey, I know. Your face is all over the news," Bree said as they shook hands. "But it's nice to meet you in person. You've got to be some kind of saint to put up with this one." She playfully thumped Damon on the back of the head.

"Thanks for cutting him off. I'm getting the sense that he can be a little self-destructive sometimes." She eyed Damon, who looked at her a little sheepishly, much like Addie when she was being scolded.

"A little," Bree answered.

Elena looked over to Damon. "Well drunky, are you ready to go home?" She tried to help him stand from the barstool, but the weight of his pure muscle held her down.

"I got it," he chuckled as he stood slowly, still a little wobbly from the alcohol. He turned around and waved a hand. "Goodbye to my favorite bartender."

"Bye, troublemaker," Bree smiled, shaking her head.

The two of them managed their way back into the parking lot. Thankfully, the rain had died down. Damon started to slosh his boots through the puddles to his car.

"Where do you think you're going?" she called after him as she walked towards the CR-V.

"Oh c'mon. We can't leave my car here overnight."

"Should have thought of that before you got so drunk that someone had to come get you," Elena lectured, sounding every bit as motherly as she actually was. "Get Alaric or someone to drive you to your car tomorrow."

Damon held up a mock salute in her direction and then changed directions towards Elena's car. "Yes ma'am."

Inside the safety of her car, she blasted the heat as much as she could. They were well into the winter weather and no amount of layered clothing could keep out the cold completely. Damon held his hands up to the vents to warm them as she drove the short distance to his house from the bar. They passed his training gym and the arena where she'd first laid eyes on him.

"I'm sure you're ready to get back to training," she said, looking over to him.

"Yes and no."

"Oh?" she fished, waiting for him to elaborate as she took a left at a stoplight.

"I'm going to have to pay the piper from Giuseppe. He may have helped get you back and I'm thankful for that, don't get me wrong, but it didn't come without a price. Truthfully when I was making plans to disappear, he was the one thing I was looking forward to running away from." Damon let his gaze fall outside the window at the passing street lights, but he reached to hold Elena's hand while they rode down the street.

"Are you still planning to fight Connor Jordan in a couple of weeks?" She could understand if he wanted to call this season a wash at this point. Missing a week in training put him loads behind the other fighters.

"It's still my title," he said, proudly. "But I have to earn it. I just don't know who I'll be fighting in the championship now."

She pulled up outside Damon's apartment building and put the car in park. "Home safe and sound."

"You want to come up for a little bit?" he asked her.

Elena thought about it. It's what she hoped he'd ask her all along. She needed to be held, to be comforted in only the way Damon could. The breakdown yesterday in the FBI office was what happened what she let her guard down and she couldn't do that again around anyone else but him. Looking at him now, she wasn't sure if he was up for much other than passing out face down in his bed.

"I could really use a decent night's sleep next to you," he said, squeezing her hand in his. That was all the convincing she needed.

She nodded and pulled into a parking space. They walked hand in hand up the stairs of his apartment building until they got to his door. Elena still had his keys in her purse so she dug them out and handed them over. He jabbed the house key into the lock and the glorious heat overwhelmed them as he pushed the door open.

With the door shut and locked behind them, Elena unwound her scarf from around her neck and shrugged out of her heavy jacket. She pushed up the sleeves of the baggy flannel she had on and plucked her rain boots off of her feet. When she finally looked up to see what Damon was doing, she saw him staring at her intently like she was the most prized possession in the whole world.

"So I said something and I'm not sure if it really sunk in," he began, kicking off his own boots and hanging his jacket on a hook on the wall. "You said it back under duress and I just want you to know that I meant it, but it's okay if you didn't."

"I know what I said," she interjected his babbling. "And I meant it too. I love you, Damon. I loved you before what happened and I still love you now."

They collided together, a mess of limbs and lips as they stripped each other out of their clothes right there in the living room. This wasn't the kind of comfort she had in mind and he hadn't been expecting anything like this from her right now. Despite that, it was what they both really needed.

Damon took her bottom lip between his teeth, his hands cupping her face. She moaned at the feeling, as her bare skin felt the heat radiating off of his. She'd gone from chilled to the bone to almost overheated in the span of minutes and it was all because of him and the way he touched her.

His hands made their way down the curves of her waist and hips until they came underneath her ass. With little effort, he lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her olive skinned legs around his waist to help hold on.

"Say it again," he commanded her.

She smiled at him as he carried her into his bedroom. "I love you."

He eased her down onto the bed. "Again."

This time she was more serious. She sat up and crawled her way down to the foot of the bed where he was standing in all of his naked glory. His erection was standing at full attention and his eyes were fixated on her cat-like movements. "Damon Salvatore, I love you."

"I love you too," he said with a smile.

He watched her lick her lips and then take him in her mouth with ease. It was damned near the sexiest thing he'd ever seen and despite the fact that he thought he might come immediately if he kept watching her, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She moaned as he felt the tip slide to the back of her throat, the small vibration causing his toes to curl and his breathing to speed up.

His heart was pounding in his chest and it wasn't just from the sensation of her mouth around his dick. It was more than that. She was his and he was hers and that's all there was to it. When he couldn't hold on anymore, he pulled himself away from her. Her lips were swollen and that fact was only accentuated by the pout that formed on them.

"I wasn't finished," she moped as she looked up at him with her chocolate eyes.

"If you kept going, I would have been," he replied, easing her down onto her back.

He covered her mouth with his, silencing any kind of sassy comeback she may have had brewing in her head. The kiss was hot and needy, the pressing need to be inside of her only growing deeper. They'd had sex many times before and each time had been perfect for it's own reasons. This time was different. This was about knowing that no matter what else was going on, things with them were rock solid because they loved each other.

Damon reached down between her legs and let his finger trace circles around her most sensitive spot. Her back arched from the bed and her mouth fell open. She was wet and ready for him and he couldn't hold himself back from having her any longer than he already had. He planted soft kisses along her neck and then he eased himself inside.

For Elena, this was more than just amazing sex. This was making love and it was something she hadn't shared with anyone ever, not even Liam. He rocked a slow and steady rhythm in and out of her, hitting that spot that he knew she loved each time. For the first time in a week and a half, her mind stopped racing and all she focused on was him.

"Oh shit, condom," Damon said, his eyes snapping wide open as he realized he'd forgotten it in his haste. He tried to pull out of her, but Elena wrapped her legs firmly around him to keep him there.

"It's fine. I've got an IUD and I trust you," she said with a smile. She'd gotten the Mirena right after Addie was born, determined to not have any more children with Liam or anyone else for a very long time. She normally was insistent on the extra protection of a condom anyways, just for disease purposes. But this was Damon, for crying out loud. If he even thought that he might have something, he'd never endanger her like that.

He nodded and then relaxed. She pulled him closer as he rolled his hips into her and the two of them lost themselves in each other and the way that they seemed to fit together so perfectly. When she finally detonated around him, her heels digging into his ass to keep him in as deeply as she could, he let go and fell over the cliff too.

After he could finally bring himself to pull out of her, he rolled onto his back and looked over at her. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks were flushed, but she looked gratified. She let out a sigh of content and started to make her way to the bathroom. Damon let his gaze linger on her ass as she walked to the door and when it closed behind her, he looked down at his already growing second erection.

"Down boy," he said, throwing the sheet over himself. He couldn't get too greedy.

Elena cracked the bathroom door open and stuck her head through. She wore an expression that told him she was feeling just as insatiable as he was. "I need a shower. Want to help me wash my back?"

There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in him as he hopped out of bed and sprinted to the shower for Round 2. After all, throwing in the towel after just one round had never been his style.

* * *

She woke up shrouded in the darkness of Damon's bedroom, her heart pumping impossibly fast and her hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. After the many orgasms and falling asleep in Damon's arms, she'd hoped that the nightmares would stop. Unfortunately, not even his tight grip around her waist had vanished them. With a little effort, she quietly lifted his arm off of her and crawled out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" he mumbled, holding his head up a few inches and squinting his eyes half open.

"Water," she whispered. "I'll be right back."

The answer seemed to satisfy him as he nodded then dove his face back into the pillow. It was mere seconds before he was sound asleep again, a small snore emitting from him. One thing that would never change about Damon Salvatore was that he slept like a log?

Elena bent down to grab a not so clean black tshirt of Damon's off of the floor. His apartment was unusually unkempt right now. She wasn't stupid enough to think that he cleaned it himself, but the fact that he hadn't been bothered to pay someone to clean it for him was just another sign that he'd put his life on hold for the past week and a half. Never mind the fact that her life wasn't exactly normal right now. What about his?

The shirt wasn't that dirty so she pulled it over her head, reveling in the smell that was Damon. It was an odd comfort for someone who'd just had a nightmare of a man's hands on her throat, but it was a small comfort none the same. She tiptoed her bare feet through the hallway, past the living room, and into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Everything in the apartment was still and quiet. The living room was barely illuminated from the streetlights outside, her clothes were laying there discarded next to Damon's on the floor. Her boots were carefully lined up next to the door. The only light in the kitchen came from the microwave clock and it painted everything in a green hue. The creak of the cabinet opening seemed like it echoed through the empty space and as she drank from the pint glass, the cold liquid soothed her dry throat. She hadn't even noticed it was dry until then. Had she been crying in her sleep?

When she reached up to touch her face, there were dried tears staining her cheeks. The skin under her eyes was puffy and swollen, the way it always was after she'd been crying for far too long. She'd been home for two days now and had yet to sleep uninterrupted by Marcel's face. He stared down at her, his hands firmly gripping her neck, as he watched the life drain from her eyes. When he'd release her enough to call for help, Klaus would come to the rescue. Only what Klaus did to her in her nightmares was much worse.

Elena shuddered and shivered as she took another long drink of water and leaned back against the kitchen counter. Her gaze fell to her legs, to the small bruise on her thigh from being jostled in the back of that van. The fact that this was the only injury she'd suffered was nothing short of a miracle. When she looked at Matt earlier tonight, the guilt twisted in her heart like a knife. Then again, she thought he was lucky. He didn't have to pretend that he was okay. He looked bruised and battered, whereas the things that haunted her weren't visible.

"I think I've got some whiskey if you want something stronger," Damon's voice cut through the silence.

She glanced up from her thigh to his form standing at the edge of the kitchen, the shadows of the dim light bouncing off the muscles of his chest. He raised an arm to scratch the back of his head and let out a yawn. He'd put on black boxer briefs, but had pretty much rolled straight out of bed otherwise. His hair was haphazardly messy and his eyes were still full of sleep.

He took a couple steps closer to her and reached out his hand to hold her cheek. When he felt the tears on her face, his expression softened. "Tell me," he said simply, looking into her eyes to let her know she could.

She shook her head, unable to say the words and that was frustrating. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? She wanted someone to know what she was going through.

"You don't have to pretend you're okay when you're around me, Elena," he encouraged her, leaving a tender kiss on her forehead. He plucked the glass of water from her hand and set it down on the counter next to her and then enveloped her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head.

Elena let herself relax in his arms and for the first time since she sat in the FBI office, she let the tears fall freely. These weren't tears that managed to escape in her sleep. They were loud sobs that heaved her shoulders despite how tightly he was holding her. She cried because she knew she was safe now, but she couldn't allow herself to fully feel it. She cried because she was a victim and that was something she swore she'd never be again. She cried from the guilt that nestled its way inside of her head and had seemingly taken up permanent residence there. She'd survived, but had she really?

For the better part of an hour, Damon stood there in the kitchen with his arms around her. He didn't press her to talk. He didn't rush her to pull it together. He knew he couldn't because despite how fine she'd been acting, it was very apparent now that she was anything but. And he knew what it was like to feel that kind of despair. Hell, he'd lived in it. Alaric and Rose had pulled him out and now he would do the same for her. But it had to be when she was ready, only when she was ready.

When the tears stopped and had quieted to small sniffles, Elena unburied her face from his bare chest. She gave him a small smile that still felt kind of heavy and swiped at his pecs with her hand to wipe up her tears the best she could. She cleared her throat. Elena Gilbert was a professional at putting on a brave face. "Sorry about that," she apologized.

Damon laced one hand through her tangled waves and planted a kiss on her cheek. "It's fine. I'm here when you need to let go, alright?"

She nodded her head and glanced at the clock on the microwave. "You have to be at the gym in two hours, don't you?"

It was already four in the morning and he grimaced at the prospect of having to go back to how things were before all of this happened. He'd be able to let go of his guilt eventually. He'd gone through this kind of pain before and he could kick again with enough bourbon and fighting. Elena, on the other hand, he got the sense that she was just going through the motions and the pain of watching that wasn't something he looked forward to.

"Yeah. Ric's expecting me at six sharp," he replied, but he didn't loosen his hold on her at all.

"So," she began.

"So?"

"So you need to rest. I have a feeling it'll be a tough day." Elena was always looking out for other people, to a fault. Despite the fact that she was freaking out on the inside. Despite the fact that she wasn't sleeping. Despite any of that, she could always function if she focused her attention of other people's problems. After all, they were much easier to solve.

"Alright, Miss Responsible," Damon said. He let her focus on him since deflecting was her defense mechanism of choice. "Let's get back to bed."

* * *

 **A/N: And here we are! There will be a small time-jump into the next chapter. Not a long one, just a couple of weeks. In the meantime, thank you all for your kind words last chapter. I've got thick skin, but sometimes I get a little down on myself. I mean, who doesn't have those days?**

 **Also, so many people are asking about where things stand with All I Wanted. I have not given up on that story, but every time I sit down and try to write a new chapter I just feel so** _ **uninspired**_ **. I'm in a rut with it. I do still plan to finish it. I haven't abandoned it. I'm just waiting for my muse to come back around. I know it sucks to wait! I'm sorry, ya'll.**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Super smut warning midway through this one, ya'll. I had to fan myself a couple of times when I proofread it.**

* * *

 **Three weeks later**

Charlotte wasn't so far away from home. At least that's what Elena kept telling herself as she sat in the passenger's seat of the Camaro on a Thursday evening. She and Damon had left after she closed up the garage for the day, which had been functioning great since reopening. Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler were only a phone call away if she needed to check up on work while she was gone. Enzo was pretty much standing guard over Bonnie these days so he'd make sure the garage stayed safe. Addie was safe with her parents for the next two nights, their house surrounded by FBI agents just in case. Jeremy was checking in on them too. And besides, Charlotte wasn't so far away from home.

The feeling in the pit of her stomach was enough to make her nauseous as they breezed past cars on the interstate. She was anxious as hell to be so far away from Addie, especially with Klaus and Elijah still out there. She was scared to go to Damon's fight because if Klaus wanted to take her again, he knew she'd probably be there. Damon reached over and squeezed her hand with his own and she returned the gesture with a soft smile.

"You need this, Elena. Everything is going to be fine. And we'll be back on Saturday for Addie's birthday party." He tried to soothe her nerves as he switched lanes to pass a Honda Civic.

She didn't reply, but she knew he was right. Everything would probably be fine, but that didn't mean that she felt okay with it. When Damon initially mentioned bringing her along to his fight, she'd immediately shot down the idea. When she brought it up to her therapist later on, Dr. Fell told her that she thought it was a great idea. She'd been seeing Dr. Fell for about two weeks now after Damon had made the first appointment, driven her there, and sat outside in the waiting room to make sure she stayed. After two weeks, Elena found that she could now sleep through the night half of the time. It wasn't back to normal, but it was an improvement.

Her phone rang and she dug through her purse to find it, her heart dropping and thinking that something was wrong at home. They were barely an hour out so it wouldn't be too late to turn around if they had to. When she saw Caroline's name on the screen, she breathed a sigh of relief and swiped to answer it.

"Hey, Care," she said with the phone up to her ear. "I'm going to put you on speakerphone." She pressed a button and set the phone on her lap.

"Will you tell Steve McQueen to slow down? We can barely keep up with him!" Caroline yelled through the phone.

Damon chuckled a little and leaned over so Caroline could hear him. "Ask Stefan what's the point in driving a Porsche if he still drives like a grandma?"

"I'm putting you on speakerphone too. Ask him yourself," Caroline replied and Elena knew her well enough to know that she was currently rolling her eyes.

"You're pushing 85, brother," Stefan said in his lecturing tone.

"And?" Damon asked, raising his eyebrows. "I want to get to the hotel before ten."

"Rose will have your balls served on a platter if you get a speeding ticket," Elena whispered to Damon.

He let off the gas and let his speed fall down to 70. Would there ever be a time when he didn't fear Rose? Probably not.

"Alright, alright, little brother. Catch up to me," Damon said into the phone as he moved over into one of the slower traffic lanes.

"Elena, are we still going to pedicures tomorrow morning? I feel like we haven't had girl time in forever." Caroline changed the subject. They'd planned on doing some exploring in the city while Damon, Stefan, Rose, and Alaric were all getting ready for the big fight. Elena didn't want to be in the way and truthfully between Addie, the garage, and therapy, she hadn't spent a lot of time with Caroline recently.

"Absolutely. I think I could use the relaxation," Elena answered. "Maybe we can go get lunch after that. That'd be fun!"

Caroline let out a squeal that echoed in the small confines of the car and Damon jumped in his seat a little. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Pizza!"

"I want pizza," Damon pouted quietly. With the championship fight in his reach, his training diet was harsher than ever.

"Just a couple more months," Elena said with a smile.

"Then I'll be all pudgy and you won't love me anymore," he replied.

"I'll always love you," she said dreamily.

"Gross. The two of you are simply gross," Caroline's voice interrupted. "We'll see you guys when we get there."

"Later, Blondie," Damon said into the phone before Caroline hung up.

Elena let out a light laugh. "She hates when you call her that."

He shrugged as he dodged his way around another car. "I know. That's why I do it." He reached for the music to turn it up as they zipped down the road. They rode along holding hands and listening to music as the mile markers passed them by and Elena tried to let herself slip back into that carefree person she'd been around Damon before everything happened.

She fiddled with her phone in her hands. Miranda and Grayson had made her promise not to call constantly, but she wanted to at least say goodnight to Addie before she fell asleep. As the night blanketed them, her own eyes were starting to get heavy and the comfortable leather seat was luring her to sleep.

Elena reached for the radio knob and turned down a Rolling Stones song. "I want to call Addie before it gets too late."

"Yeah, of course. Tell her I said hello."

The phone rang three times before Grayson picked up and responded with his usual jovial greeting.

"Hi, Dad! How's my baby?" Elena asked him, nervously chewing on the stubs of her fingernails. There was little of them left these days.

"She's good. We had lasagna for dinner and now we're fingerpainting," he replied nonchalantly. "Are you guys there yet?"

It would have been easy for her parents to hate Damon after what happened. They could have easily written him off as a threat to Elena and Addie's safety, but they saw how good Damon was for the both of them. Instead of holding a grudge, Miranda and Grayson had been nothing but supportive towards them. That's just the type of parents they were.

Elena looked out the window for a sign "We're pretty close. We'd have been there already, but we had to stop for gas and food a few miles back." She smiled to herself when she remembered how jealous Damon was of the French fries she'd been munching on while he drank a protein shake instead.

"Well that's good. Text your mom once you're checked into the hotel, will you? You know she worries," he replied. The giggle of Addie could be heard in the background.

The sound made Elena's heart swell with love. "Of course. Can I talk to Addie? I just want to tell her goodnight."

"Adaline Grace!" Grayson called out. "Your mom wants to talk to you!"

There was a little bit of rustling and then Addie's voice sounded through the phone. "Hey Momma! Grandma and I are painting pictures!"

"I heard! I can't wait to see them! Are you behaving?"

"Duh!" Addie giggled. "I'm always good."

"Tell me about what you're painting," Elena said. She just wanted to keep her on the phone a little longer, just to hear her voice. It reassured her that everything was okay back home and she didn't need to worry.

"I painted our house," Addie said excitedly. "And I put a garden in the front with yellow flowers."

"Oh, well we will have to plant some yellow flowers when it's warm outside again. What do you think?" Elena asked her.

"Really? That would be fun!"

"Anything else in the painting?"

"Well, there's me and there's you and there's Friend Damon and there's the puppy that I want for Christmas," Addie said matter-of-factly.

Elena's smile spread even wider. Damon had become a fixture in their home the past few weeks, joining them for dinner most nights and sleeping over fairly often. At times, it felt like he already lived with them. He had a toothbrush in her bathroom, clean clothes in her laundry basket, and a favorite blanket draped over the couch. He helped out with Addie in the mornings, read her bedtime stories at night, and even helped plan her upcoming birthday party. He was becoming a part of their family and even Addie knew it.

"That's great, sweet pea. That's really great. We'll have to talk more about that puppy. I don't know just yet." Happy tears started to form in the corners of Elena's eyes.

"Friend Damon said he would help take care of it!" Addie reasoned.

Elena glanced over to Damon, who was distractedly looking for their exit off the interstate. "I bet he did. We'll see. Right now, it's late and you should probably get to bed."

"Grandpa says I can stay up late tonight," Addie whined.

"Bedtime now? Please, for me?"

"Can I talk to Friend Damon first?"

Elena covered the speaker of the phone with her hand and turned to Damon. "Someone wants to talk to you."

They were now safely off the highway and he was trying to navigate the streets of downtown Charlotte. Elena had never been to North Carolina before so she wasn't much help and he seemed pretty overwhelmed with the amount of traffic for this late at night. She wouldn't blame him if he just wanted to concentrate on driving.

Instead, he let out a smirk and took a left at a stoplight. "Put her on speaker?"

Elena clicked the button and rested the phone on her leg again.

"Hi, Princess! I miss you!" Damon said, his smirk growing into a full smile. The fact that this big, tough UFC fighter practically melted into a puddle of goo over a little toddler would never get old. "Are you having fun?"

"I'm painting a picture of our house with Grandma and Grandpa! Don't worry. I didn't forget to put our new puppy in there too."

It didn't go unnoticed how she kept including Damon in her version of home. In fact, it made Elena's happy tears leak out a little. Damon shot her a smile and gave her jean-clad leg a supportive squeeze. "We have to make sure your mom says its okay first, remember?" he said into the phone.

"Yeah, I know." Addie sounded a little disappointed, but she was more or less agreeable about it.

Elena let out a yawn as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. He glanced over to her. She seemed to be sleeping better since starting therapy, but her sleep schedule still wasn't 100% back to normal. It was only about 9:30 at night, but she was already half-asleep.

"Well Princess, I think it's getting late. I'll see you at your birthday party on Saturday, okay?"

"Okay," Addie answered. "Goodnight Friend Damon! Goodnight Momma!"

"Goodnight Addie!" they both exclaimed into the phone as Elena stifled yet another yawn. When she ended the call, she let her head rest back against the seat. Her eyes felt so heavy with exhaustion.

"Wait here while I check us in?" Damon asked her. "I'll be back to grab the bags."

"I can get my own bag, thank you very much," she said, but the tiredness in her voice wasn't very convincing.

"Chill, Susan B. Anthony," Damon said with a chuckle as he took off his seatbelt. "I know you're perfectly capable of carrying your bag. I just want to do something nice for you."

"Okay," she relented and leaned in for a kiss. It was a quick peck, the kind that come as easily as blinking when you're really comfortable being with someone. "I'll wait here."

"Thank you," he smiled. He climbed out the Camaro, leaving it running so that the heat would stay on. Despite the fact that they'd headed down south, the November chill hadn't eased at all.

Elena nuzzled her head against the leather seat, letting her body relax. Despite everything, Damon was part of the family now and they were as strong as ever. He'd stuck by her through the 2am panic attacks, waited outside during her therapy appointments, and been the support that she needed even when she didn't know it. Her parents respected him. Addie adored him. The fact that she'd been so reluctant to open her heart to him in the first place seemed so insane now.

She was a little startled when she heard knuckles tapping on the window beside of her, but her expression softened when she looked over to see a shivering Caroline standing outside of the car. Elena rolled down the window. "Hey, Care," she said through yet another yawn. "Want to climb in for some heat?"

Bouncing up and down in her red pea coat, Caroline nodded her head. Elena opened the door and slid over into the driver's seat to make room. Once the door was closed again and the blasting heat quelled her chill, Caroline turned to Elena. "If I tell you something, do you swear that you won't tell a soul?" she asked, nervously picking at her nails.

"Of course. You know your secret is safe with me," Elena nodded.

"I'm late," Caroline blurted out. "About three weeks late."

"Really?" Elena asked, surprise in her voice. "Oh my god, Caroline. Does Stefan know?"

"No. We just started seeing each other. It's still so new. We're barely past the getting to know you stage. And Elena, my career. No one wants a pregnant cow parading around the ring in a bikini. What the hell am I supposed to do?" Caroline buried her face in her hands, clearly panicking. "I'm going to be a single, unemployed mother. And worse than that, I'll be a bad mom. I'm not like you. I can't juggle a kid like you do."

Elena thought back to when she'd found out she was pregnant with Addie. It wasn't planned by any means and yet having Addie had made her life better in so many ways. When she first found out and told Liam, he freaked out and left straight for the bar. She'd sat in the living room floor and cried for hours before Caroline and Bonnie showed up with pickles, ice cream, and pregnancy books. It was through the support of the people who really cared for her that she got through it. And even if Stefan did freak out and run, Elena would be there for Caroline like she had been for her.

She reached over and brought Caroline in for a hug. "Hey, hey, it's okay. It'll be okay. Addie's been begging me for a brother or sister. A cousin will be just as good," she joked.

That got a little laugh out of Caroline, who rested her head on Elena's shoulder.

"First things first, we need to get a test for you. If it's positive, you should tell Stefan."

Caroline shook her head no and tears started to fall again. "I can't tell him."

"You have to. You'll start to show whether you tell him or not," Elena reasoned. "If he's the guy I think he is, he'll stand by you. If he doesn't, you still have me and Matt and Bonnie and even Tyler. Plus, your mom is only two towns over. It takes a village to raise a good kid. Trust me, I know. You think Addie would have turned out this adorable and cute without all of you guys? This can be a blessing, Care. I promise you're going to get more out of it than you will lose."

Damon opened the driver's side door and took in the sight of the two of them hugging in the car. "Whoa," he stepped back a little. "Everything alright?"

"It's been a long drive," Elena said, rubbing her hand soothingly up and down Caroline's arm. "I think we're both just tired."

Thankfully, Damon didn't press any further. He was good at knowing when to leave some space and when to butt in. "Well, Stefan and I checked us in. He's grabbing bags from the Porsche and I'll get ours out of the trunk. We're on the sixth floor, rooms are across from each other."

"Thank you," Elena smiled at him.

"Of course." He leaned in to kiss her on the forehead and handed her a hotel keycard. "That's your key. Room 611."

"We'll be right behind you," she told him.

"Don't forget to-" he started to say.

"Lock the Camaro," Elena said through a laugh. "We know."

* * *

The Hilton in Charlotte was pretty swanky, far nicer than any hotel Elena had ever stayed in. Even though she was dying to drive over to the drug store that night, Caroline convinced her to wait until the following morning. Instead, they'd made their way up to the sixth floor and parted ways with a hug to their separate rooms.

Elena stood in the marble tiled shower and lathered the shampoo into her hair. It'd been awhile since she could really take her time in the shower. Usually she was in a rush in the mornings or if she had time in the evenings, she'd run out of hot water about ten minutes in. This was nice and leisurely. The warm water cascaded down her back from the rainfall showerhead as it rinsed the suds from her hair.

She thought more and more about Caroline. It was a terrifying thing that she was going through and Elena felt guilty that she hadn't made herself available sooner. How long had Caroline been carrying this secret around? Elena had been so lost in her own world that she didn't even notice. Even though her nightmares were becoming less frequent, the insecure feeling of knowing that Klaus and Elijah were still out there never really went away. It was stopping her from living her life and being the person she wanted to be.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Damon's voice interrupted her worrying mind. He was standing on the other side of the shower door and she could see his blurry outline through the steamy glass.

"I've always been kind of neurotic, haven't I?" she asked him.

"You like to be in control of things," he reasoned. "Handling situations is part of who you are."

"What happens when I can't handle something?" She rinsed the conditioner out of her hair. "Damon, I don't know if I'll ever get over what happened to me and that scares me."

"It's only been a few weeks. Don't give up, baby."

The way he called her baby made her smile. She'd never been one for pet names and Damon seldom used them, which meant that when he did, it meant all the more. "I'm just getting frustrated. I'm not used to not being in charge of my own well-being."

She watched as his figure leaned against the bathroom sink. "Did I ever tell you about what happened when I woke up in the hospital in Vegas?" he asked her.

"Yeah. You had to go through rehab for your leg," she said, chewing on her lip as she swiped her razor across her legs.

"Well yeah, after I was released. But right when I woke up, I was so angry that I ripped out my IVs and tried to hobble my way out of the hospital, shattered tibia and all. I tripped on my cast about halfway to the door of my room and when Ric came rushing in to help me up, I punched him square in the nose. I held onto the anger over what happened to me for weeks. I blamed myself for not seeing that choke hold coming. I blamed my father for distracting me with the argument we had beforehand. I blamed Ric for not training me better. I blamed damn near everybody."

"I'm not blaming you, Damon," Elena interjected.

"I'm not saying you are," he backtracked. "The point is you have to let go of that need to assign blame and that shame of being a victim that I know you're carrying around on your shoulders in order to fully heal. I spent months just trying to walk more than five steps without falling on my ass and it was fucking frustrating as hell. The minute I let go of my anger and fear, rehab got easier. Being able to walk without something holding me up with a little victory, but then I got into the gym one day and I was able to punch the hell out of the punching bag and it made me feel a little more like myself again. It's a process, but you can't give up on it. I won't let you."

Elena slid the glass door open slightly and poked her head through the crack. "Since when did you get so wise?" she asked with a smile.

"Since always," he shrugged then crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his arms begging to be freed from the confines of his black and gray Henley.

She looked at him and licked her lips shamelessly. He was already so good to her. It wasn't fair that he was so hot on top of that.

"Now are you done in there yet?" he asked with a mischievous look. "I want to have hot, loud, hotel sex before we pass out in that huge bed."

Taken aback, all she could do was nod her head and reach to turn the water off. Damon held out a white fluffy towel for her and she wrapped it around her body before she stepped out onto the rug outside the shower. There was steam from her hot shower still wafting through the air, fogging up the large mirror that was attached to the wall behind Damon. The bottom of her hair dripped little droplets of water onto the tile floor at her feet and she couldn't be bothered to care because of the hungry way her was looking at her. She was looking at him the same way, her fingertips hot with the need to trace them along his skin.

He cleared his throat and took a step towards her, his hand coming to rest on her hip. "Get dried off," he whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat to maintain control. "I have plans."

Without another word, he was gone and the bathroom door clicked closed behind him. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The past few weeks had been busy and stressful for the both of them and even though they'd spent a lot of time together, a lot of nights they were so exhausted that they'd passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Between Damon's insane training schedule, Elena trying to get Gilbert's Garage back together, caring for a toddler, her therapy sessions, and planning a birthday party, there just hadn't been enough time. The desire was still there, but the opportunity was often lacking.

Quicker than probably ever, she toweled off her skin, combed out her hair, and put on some lotion. All the while her hands were shaking with eagerness and if the wetness between her legs were any indication, she was already way turned on and they hadn't even really touched each other yet. She eyed the pajamas that she'd set out on a nearby stand and debated whether to put them on, but quickly decided it'd be a waste of time. She knew she probably wouldn't have been wearing them very long anyway.

Instead, she shut off the bathroom light and opened the door to the semi-lit hotel room. When she crept around the corner and padded across the carpet, she went against her instinctive nature to cover her naked body. Damon hated when she hid from him. He was standing next to the bed, sans shirt but still in his jeans from earlier, his bare feet peeking out from the bottoms of them. He was looking down at the ground with his hands shoved into his pockets. When he heard her come in, his blue eyes snapped up to look at her and she felt exposed more than ever under his scrutiny.

He was gawking. There was no doubt about it. Maybe it was because it'd been at least four days since he'd been inside of her or maybe it was because she was so damn beautiful, but Damon couldn't stop himself from feeling like an overexcited teenage boy as he watched her cautiously approach him. He held out a hand to her and she took hold of it as soon as she was close enough. The smell of her coursed through his nose as he pulled her close, vanilla mixed with a little bit of wildflower. Whatever soap she used, he'd need to make sure she never ran out of it.

He ran his lips over her skin, first on her lips and then in a trail along her jawline up to capture her earlobe. As he nibbled it between his teeth, she let out a sigh that went directly to his already straining groin. "Fuck, you're gorgeous," he muttered softly to her.

He pulled himself away, even though it pained him to do so. When she whined, he laughed a little. "Do a turn. Let me see you."

Hesitantly, Elena placed her hands on her hips and slowly started to turn around. Or at least she thought she was going slow.

"Slower, baby," Damon ordered.

She slowed down ever more and even when she was facing away from him, goosebumps rose on her skin from how intently she could feel him watching her. He was sizing her up. He was taking her in, ready to devour her at any moment, ready to pounce on her any second now. The anticipation was killing her. When she completed her circle and came back around to him, he'd shed himself of his jeans and boxers and his hand was stroking up and down his length.

"I wanted to do that," she said, reaching for him.

"Next time," he replied. He took the lead, turned them around, and backed her up against the sliding glass door that led out to their balcony.

When they'd first gotten there, Elena opened the curtains to take in the view of the city at night, all twinkling lights and black sky. They were still open as her bare ass pressed up against the cold glass. The cool sensation mixed with the searing heat coming from Damon's hands had her panting softly while she watched him sink down to his knees in front of her. He kissed her right hip then her left hip before dipping his tongue into her belly button.

Elena gasped and her head fell back against the glass, landing with a soft thud. She reached down and ran her fingers through Damon's dark hair. She was so lost in the moment that she didn't give a second thought to the fact that her naked backside was pressed against the window for the world to see. Instead, she was solely focused on his mouth and the way it was making her feel.

He traced his hand down her left leg and when he got to her knee, he lifted it up to rest of his shoulder. She was open for him now, ready for him to taste, and fuck it all, he was ready to taste her. He dove tongue first into her heat, running it up and down her slit. Normally, he'd start slow and work her up to it, but he couldn't hold back anymore and this wasn't about slow and steady. This was about fucking her senseless. He pumped a couple fingers in and out of her in tandem and she whispered his name in approval.

He couldn't have her whispering. Not tonight, not when they didn't have to hold anything back. He grabbed onto her right knee and lifted it up onto his shoulder too. Using his hands to support her curvy ass, he worked her clit to the best of his abilities. He traced little circles around it like he knew she liked and he flicked his tongue over it over and over again. She came once, her legs shaking around his head and her hands fisting into his hair. Still, she was quiet about it as she called out his name followed by a couple swear words that she rarely used.

All Elena could do at this point was hang on for the ride. The demanding assault with his mouth had her head spinning, her vision blurring because of the pleasure. After one orgasm, you'd think he would stop, but he didn't seem to be slowing down. She groaned as his tongue worked up yet another one, biting down hard on her lip. His fingers dug into her bare ass as he supported her weight with his strong arms and her heels dug into his back as she arched upwards. Despite her squirming, Damon didn't stop. Her toes curled and she gasped as waves of pleasure shot through her. She was met with a low growl from Damon, who lifted her legs off his shoulders and planted her feet back onto the floor.

Now it was purely animalistic. He needed to make her scream. He couldn't let her hold back any longer. They didn't have anyone listening in the next room, they weren't in a rush to get to work in a few minutes, there was nothing stopping them. He stood up, swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand before bringing her to him for a burning kiss.

She could taste herself on his tongue and she didn't mind at all. As she was pinned between him and the window, she could feel his erection pressing into her and she shamelessly ground herself against it. Elena desired Damon in a way that she'd never desired anyone before and they'd become so comfortable with one another that there was no need for any pretense anymore. This was honest and though it was hedonistic as hell, this was love making nonetheless.

As good as she felt pressed up against him, he knew how good it'd feel to be inside of her. Roughly, he turned her around and bent her over. "Elena, so help me God, you're going to scream for me tonight."

Elena placed her palms on the glass in front to brace herself. Damon wasn't aggressive like this often, but she loved it when he was. She could feel his strength and how badly he wanted her with each touch. "Make me," she challenged back.

Without any more waiting, he grabbed at her hip and plunged inside of her. He didn't give her much time to adjust before he started thrusting in and out of her, the roughness of his actions jarring her forward towards the glass. She pushed on her palms to meet him, pushing him impossible deeper inside of her and hitting that spot that he knew she loved. She looked out at the city landscape, at the cars stuck in traffic on the road beneath them, at the buildings across the street with darkened windows. If anyone could see them, it made the thrill of it even hotter.

He wasn't holding back and if the little moans she was making could be believed, she didn't want him to. As Damon reached around to rub her bundle of nerves zealously, Elena gave him the sweet reward he'd been hoping for all along. The sound of his hips slapping against her backside faded into the background and she screamed his name as she came around him, her knees buckling from how good it felt. He was quick to hold her up with his other arm, never slowing down until he was sure she was done.

"Do you think anyone can see us?" she asked him as she tried to catch her breath.

He let out a breath as he eased his ministrations to a slower, steady pace. "Maybe."

"Then let's give them one hell of a show," she said, turning to give him a wicked smile. Something about being with him brought out the bold side of her.

"Your wish is my command, Miss Gilbert," he said, rocking in and out of her. He pulled out and she turned around to face him. His hands grabbed at the back of her thighs, her arms laced themselves around his neck, and he hoisted her up. With her legs wrapped around his waist, he pressed her back against the glass and eased himself back inside.

She slid up and down the glass a little each time he pulled out and pushed back in. Their breathing became shallow and their kisses turned frantic as each of them gave in to the feeling of being so free with one another. She drug her fingernails across the skin on his shoulder blades, leaving marks that would surely show on his nationally televised fight tomorrow night. Good. If he had to bear the marks of his profession, he could bear the marks of her love to balance it out.

Now that she'd let out a scream, she didn't bother keeping quiet any longer. Instead, she called out his name. She told him how good it felt for him to be inside of her. She said dirty things that normally would have made her blush, but somehow felt right falling off of her tongue in the moment. As he buried his face in the crook of her neck and brought her closer to the edge, she didn't have a care in the world.

"Fuck," he muttered against her skin. "I'm close, Elena."

The guttural tone in his voice pushed her over and she came right along with him, her fourth orgasm of the night but who the hell was even counting at this point? She certainly wasn't as her skin tingled and her thoughts swarmed with how good it felt to be possessed by someone like Damon.

He pressed a kiss to her temple, surprisingly tender considering the rowdy way he'd manhandled her not moments earlier. "God, you're amazing," he told her and it was the truth. "I've never loved anyone like I love you."

When he pulled away from her and gently set her back onto her feet, he graciously grabbed a towel for her to clean-up with and shut the curtains behind her.

"Oh, now you're concerned with privacy?" she joked with a raised eyebrow.

"Apparently one of us is a bit of an exhibitionist," he shot back. "Not pointing any fingers or anything." He reached down for his boxer briefs and pulled them back on, careful to ease them over his still very sensitive area.

She laughed, pulling her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. "Yeah, one of us is."

* * *

Hotel room service meant not having to cook or do the dishes. Damon sat across from her on the bed the next morning, eating his egg white and spinach omelet as she dug into a chocolate croissant. The flaky pastry looked almost as delectable as she did, almost. She was still in her pajamas, a Grateful Dead tshirt that was two sizes too big and a pair of yoga pants. Her hair was a mess of dark waves and her legs were curled up underneath her. She broke off a tiny piece of the croissant.

"Want some?" she asked, holding it out to him.

He shook his head and held up his fork. "I've got my own."

"That's a sad breakfast," she teased, popping the piece into her mouth. "We're on vacation, aren't we?"

"You're on vacation. I've got to earn a paycheck tonight." After taking time off from training to try to find Elena and then mope about not being the one to actually rescue her, he'd been doing two-a-days with Alaric to get back to fighting shape. Tonight's fight would decide whether or not he'd compete for the title in Vegas and he had to win. After everything, if he didn't win this, what was even the point?

To say that the pressure was on would be an understatement. He was already indebted to Giuseppe for rescuing Elena. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop on that one, for his father to throw it in his face at the most convenient time. If he lost this fight, he could go ahead and compound that debt on top of it.

Before the fight, he had a day of what he liked to call kissing ass to the media, set up by Rose of course. They were doing a magazine interview and photo-shoot during the day. Then he'd agreed to do a locker room interview with ESPN right before he made his entrance. It wasn't exactly his style, but he owed it to her to be agreeable after she saved his ass with the whole almost resigning from the league debacle.

Someone knocked on the door to their room and he sighed in annoyance. The circus was already starting and their little peaceful world inside of the hotel room had to come to an end.

"I'll get it!" Elena said, hopping up from the bed. She walked over to the door and looked through the small peephole to see who it was. Her days of leaving doors unlocked and opening them without knowing who was on the other side were behind her.

When she gripped the doorknob and pulled, an energetic Rose came bursting through. She was carrying an iPad in her hands as she strode over to Damon. "Okay, so we've got to get your over to the magazine for hair and makeup by ten. Hopefully we'll get you out of there and over to the arena by four so you'll have time to shower and get changed. Alaric's going to meet us there to help you warm up and he'll stay with you during the locker room interview to make sure all goes well."

"I don't need a babysitter," Damon interrupted, wiping his mouth with a white cloth napkin.

Rose looked up from her iPad, her eyebrows suspiciously raised. "I beg to differ," she replied with her thick British accent. She looked back down and resumed typing on the tablet. "Per your father's orders, Stefan will be with us all day. Besides, it'll be nice to have an extra hand to help wrangle you."

"The coffee in this hotel sucks," Caroline said as she made her way through the still open doorway with Stefan trailing behind her. She was dressed in a sweater dress with dark brown riding boots and Stefan had on his usual three-piece suit. She had a coffee cup in each hand and Stefan was carrying a tray with three more in his. "We went to the place around the corner."

Damon looked over to Elena. "Shut the door before more people find their way in here? It's too early for a party."

She chuckled and clicked it closed. Bouncing up to Caroline, she put her hands behind her back and gave her the biggest smile. "You got my usual?" she asked her.

Caroline held out one of the cups. "Skim caramel latte, light foam, with an extra shot of espresso."

Elena took it in her hands and greedily gulped it down. "I feel alive, so so alive."

Stefan held out a cup to Rose. "Soy half-caf macchiato," he said with a smile.

She looked up from her iPad long enough to take the cup from him and mumble a thank you. "We've got to get going. I can't believe you're still in your pajamas," she said to Damon.

"I can't believe he isn't naked," Stefan teased, handing Damon a cup of steaming hot black coffee.

He rolled his eyes in response and stood from the bed, his baggy black sweatpants hanging low on his hips. He slept naked a lot, especially during the summer, but the November chill forced him to at least put on pants at night now. Not underwear, but at least pants.

"Can we all meet downstairs in fifteen?" Rose asked. "Then we'll part ways and meet back up later."

Elena looked at Damon like she was trying to decide if that was enough time. "I can be ready in fifteen," she said with a nod. "So long as there are no distractions."

"No promises on that," Damon said with a smile.

"Pretending I didn't hear anything of that," Caroline said, backing her way out of the hotel room. "See you soon, Elena!"

Rose and Stefan soon followed with their exits and when the door closed behind them, Damon turned to greedily reach for Elena. She swatted his hand away with a giggle.

"I was serious. No distractions this morning!" she chastised. She went to her suitcase and started rifling through for a pair of jeans.

"Getting laid before my fight would really put me at an advantage," he said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

She grinned and shrugged from his grip. "You already have the advantage. You don't need me. And I'm still sore from your onslaught last night."

"Fine," he groaned. "I guess I'll have to settle for celebratory sex later tonight. You can nurse my wounds then personally congratulate me."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Damon and Elena emerged from the elevator into the hotel lobby. Rose was waiting in the center, her foot tapping impatiently against the marble flooring. Caroline and Stefan seemed more relaxed, sitting on one of the couches and chatting to each other.

"You're late," Rose pointed out.

"My fault," Elena said with a playful smirk. "I distracted him."

Caroline and Stefan stood up from the couch, their fingers laced together. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then on the lips before readjusting her purse onto her shoulder. "I'll see you later tonight," she told him, readjusting his blue striped tie. "Have a good day, babe."

When she finally turned to Elena, it was hard not to notice the anxiety in her eyes. Clearly she hadn't told Stefan anything yet and the thought that she'd probably find out one way or another very soon wasn't easing anything. "Ready?" Elena asked, the question holding a double meaning.

"As I'll ever be," Caroline nodded.

Elena turned to give Damon a kiss and a hug. "Be your usual charming self today and I'll be there to cheer you on later tonight," she whispered to him.

"I'll need another good luck kiss before," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. Obviously. Why else am I here?"

Damon dug through the pocket of his jeans and held out his car keys for her. "Rose is the chauffeur today," he shrugged as if it was the most casual thing in the world. "Go easy on the clutch."

Excitedly, Elena grabbed the keys from him before he could change his mind. She pulled Caroline by the arm and they made their way outside of the hotel, leaving behind the Salvatore brothers and Rose to do whatever kind of boring press stuff they had to do today. Getting to cruise around Charlotte in the Camaro was going to be way more fun.

When they were inside, the heat cranking and the engine purring, Elena put the car into drive. "First stop is the drug store," she told Caroline.

Caroline twirled the ends of her hair between her fingers, her telltale sign that she was feeling uncomfortable, and looked down at her stomach. "Can't it wait?"

"Waiting won't change what the results are," Elena reasoned. "I know it's terrifying, but I'm right here with you."

"Okay," Caroline relented with a sigh. She pulled her phone out of her purse and looked up the nearest drugstore. "Just so you know, you're the number one babysitter if this turns out to be real."

She laughed and took a right onto a street as the GPS instructed her to do so. "Fully aware."

"Okay so let's focus on you to distract me. Do you think you and Damon are going to get married?" Caroline asked in all seriousness.

Elena nearly swerved into a fire hydrant. It'd only been a couple of months. Things were still new with them and she didn't even know if marriage was something he wanted. They hadn't even had that conversation, let alone seriously thought about it. "Um," she balked. "Probably not anytime soon. We're still getting to know each other."

"You act like an old married couple already."

"We do not," Elena retorted. She pulled the Camaro into a parking space in front of a huge Walgreens. "What kind of woman would I be if I just up and married some guy I just started dating? What would that do to Addie?"

Caroline crossed her arms in front of her and gave Elena a pointed look. "You and I both know that Damon isn't just some guy. Also, Addie loves Damon so don't use her as an excuse. And, if you guys get married then you'll legally be this hypothetical little bean's aunt," she finished, pointing to her stomach.

"Perfect segue back into focusing on you. Let's go," Elena said as she turned off the car.

They walked into the brightly lit store and after a couple steps past the automatic doors, Caroline froze. She started to panic, her breathing becoming more erratic and her face turning flush. "I can't. I can't. What if I'm pregnant? I can't be a mom, Elena. I'm not ready."

"Caroline, if you really are pregnant and you really don't think you can do this, there's other options," Elena quietly told her, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulders. "But this is all theoretical until you know for sure."

She nodded her head and they trudged their way to the back of the store where a section with condoms and pregnancy tests boasted a sign with the words Family Planning scrawled across it. There were at least twenty different kinds of tests. It was pretty overwhelming.

Elena remembered having to go through this before, only she'd done it alone. She was too scared to confide in her parents, too petrified that Liam would freak out, too proud to admit it to Caroline or Bonnie. So she'd driven herself to the store, mindlessly stared at the wall full of tests, and randomly chose three with the least intimidating packages. When they all came back positive and it became real, that's when she pushed all that fear and self-importance aside. Thank God Caroline didn't have to do this alone.

She reached for a box on the shelf. "This is one of the ones I used when I tested for Addie," Elena told Caroline. "It gives a pregnant or not pregnant reading instead of those stupid lines that you need a decoder to figure out. Easy as pie to understand."

Caroline leaned over a little to look at the box. "Bet that smiling lady on there didn't get knocked up on accident," she griped.

"Oh, stop," Elena said. "C'mon. Let's pay for this thing."

The two of them walked back up to the front counter and when the cashier rang up the box, Caroline blushed. It was a rare occasion when Caroline Forbes was embarrassed about anything. She handed her card over to pay for it and then abruptly took the bag. Elena trailed behind her as Caroline darted out of the store and into the parking lot.

They stopped on their respective sides of the Camaro and gave each other a look across the hood. Elena's was sympathetic and compassionate. Caroline's face seemed frightened and unsure, but only for a moment before it was replaced with a small smile.

"So we'll just go back to the hotel and I'll take it and then we'll go get pedicures and some lunch," Caroline said with a shrug that was meant to seem non-committal, but wasn't fooling anyone.

The ride back to the hotel was mostly silent, an uncommon occurrence between the two of them. Normally, they were bustling with gossip or arguing like sisters, but Elena found that anything she wanted to say in that moment wouldn't do much good. The only thing that would bring about some clarity for her friend was sitting inside of a Walgreens bag on the floorboard beside her feet.

She parked the car and they took the elevator back up to the sixth floor of the Hilton. When they got outside of Caroline and Stefan's door, there was another moment of hesitation.

Caroline turned to Elena. "If I take this and it comes back positive, it becomes real."

"It'll be real even if you don't take it," Elena said kindly.

"Right. You're right." Caroline nodded her head and slid her keycard into the slot. Still holding the bag, she started walking towards the large bathroom. "I can do this part. I'll let you know when I need you."

Elena walked over to a nearby chair and pulled it closer to the bathroom door. "I'll be right outside here either way."

Elena sat nervously in the chair, waiting for any news and trying to think of the right thing to say for either outcome. It seemed like the better part of half an hour before the door to the bathroom opened back up again. When Caroline finally emerged, both tests from the box in her hand, Elena tried to read her expression. She handed both of them to Elena and they each said the same thing.

Pregnant.

"Maybe it's a false positive," Caroline reasoned. "I was just reading online that those can happen sometimes."

After a few seconds of Elena staring down at the tests and still trying to think of the right words to say, Caroline started to cry.

"It's not a false positive, is it?" she said, burying her face into her hands. "This is really happening?"

Elena stood up and brought Caroline in for a hug. "It'll be okay. Like I said, you have options. I'll support you with whatever you decide."

She stood up and wiped at her eyes, sniffling her way through the last few sobs. "I'm not having an abortion and I don't think I have the heart to hand this little beansprout over to another family."

"So we'll be moms together," Elena smiled. "But if you're keeping it, you should definitely tell Stefan as soon as you can."

Caroline groaned. "He's so busy today with Damon's fight. It isn't the right time."

"It'll never be the right time to tell him he's going to be a father."

"You're right. I'll talk to him tonight. For now, can we just go get pedicures and talk about celebrity gossip for a little bit? I need to not think about the fact that there's a human life growing inside of me. I am officially an incubator." She laughed quietly and it was a genuine laugh.

* * *

The last time Damon wore a suit was that press conference fiasco. As he stood behind a white background and the camera lights flashed at him, the tie around his neck felt tight and suffocating.

"Adjust your cuff a little and give us a smirk," the petite redheaded photographer said as she titled her camera to get the perfect shot.

He felt a little like a douche with all of the hairspray holding his hair in place. It was probably more product that Stefan had in his perfectly styled hair and that was saying something. Damon did as instructed, though the smirk probably came across more like a grimace since he was dying to get this photo-shoot over with.

"That's perfect!" the photographer yelled to him. "That's all for this outfit." She turned to look at a couple of assistants in the corner. "Can we get a few of him in some fighting gear now?"

A couple of assistants quickly marched over and manhandled him back into the hair and makeup room of the studio. There were racks of wardrobe choices. Hanging up were a pair of black Under Armour shorts similar to the uniform he wore when fighting. One of the assistants plucked them from the rack and handed them to him.

"So we'll need you in these and then your manager is going to help us wrap up your hands for a few action shots," she told him.

"Shirt?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She turned to the other assistant to double check. "No shirt."

He thought as much. Sure, these were supposed to be action shots, but it was really just an excuse to get some photos of him without a shirt on, probably for the magazine cover. He used to get off on being objectified and ogled by women, but now that he had Elena, it got rather grating after a while. "Alright," he forced a cooperative smile. "I'll get changed."

At least he got to take that stifling wool suit off. He looked in the full length mirror, standing there in the fighting shorts and bare feet. He felt much more comfortable, more like himself. Getting dressed up never felt quite right. Whereas Stefan lived his life in fine clothing, Damon much preferred athletic clothes or jeans. Anything else just felt like he was wearing a costume. He turned around to examine his back, scratches running up and down the length of his shoulder blades. Elena had marked him up good. He'd wear them with honor.

When someone knocked on the door, Damon turned to it. "Come in. I'm dressed."

Stefan came in with some sports tape in his hand and held it up. "It won't be as good as when Alaric does it, but I'll try my best."

"I can do it myself. I'm not a child," Damon quipped, grabbing the tape from Stefan's hands. He proceeded to wrap his left hand first.

"Right," Stefan said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. "Can I talk to you about something? Brother to brother?"

He furrowed his brow as he tried to wrap his right hand next. It wasn't so easy to do now that his other hand was wrapped, but he was determined to do it all on his own. "Sure. Go for it."

"Something's going on with Caroline," Stefan began. "She's been acting weird the past couple of days, like more nervous than usual."

"Blondie? Neurotic? You don't say," Damon scoffed. He ripped the last of the tape from the roll with his teeth. It wasn't really good enough for an actual fight, but the wrap job looked fine enough for a few pictures.

"I'm serious, Damon. She won't even kiss me for more than like five seconds. I can't even touch her in bed without her pulling away from me."

"Look little brother, I'm going to save you a lot of time by giving you one piece of advice that will be applicable to pretty much any relationship issue you have. If you think something is going on, fucking ask her. Maybe she wants to break up. Maybe she's sick or something. Maybe everything is fine and you're being overdramatic. Won't know until you ask."

Stefan nodded his head. "True, but-"

"But nothing," Damon said. He handed the tape back to Stefan. "Things have gotten a hell of lot easier with Elena since we decided to start fucking talking to each other. There's no secrets, no guesswork. It's nice to not have to wonder for once."

The door swung open again and Rose walked in. "You look great," she said, taking an evaluative look at Damon. "If I didn't know how big of an ass you were, I'd be attracted to you."

"Somehow, I think that's the closest I'm getting to a compliment about my looks from you," he said with a smirk.

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

The rest of the photo-shoot was pretty painless and as the spunky photographer barked orders at him to twist his head this way or move his arm down two inches, Damon obliged. The subsequent interview was the same boring questions everyone seemed to ask him. How was he training differently this year, what motivated him, etc. After the Andie Starr interview, he was fine with answering those same boring questions. Surprises weren't a good thing where the media was concerned.

Dressed back in his jeans and comfortable shirt, his sunglasses covering his eyes even though they were still inside, Damon strolled past the photographer on his way out with Rose and Stefan. She was flipping through the picture she'd taken of Damon on a monitor.

"Hey, you want to see which one will probably be the cover shot?" she called out to them.

Of course Rose was curious. Making sure Damon looked good was her job and if she could give her input, even better. She walked over to look at the monitor. "Oh, I like that one. Can you edit out those?" she said pointing to the screen.

"Photoshop is magical," the photographer replied.

Damon let out a breath and rolled his eyes. "Let me see," he said, walking over to join them. The shot on the monitor was from the side. He had his hands up and ready, like he was about to throw one hell of a jab at someone, and if you looked closely enough you could make out the claw marks on his right shoulder blade.

"I'm guessing you didn't get those from sparring with Alaric," Rose bantered.

"Not quite," Damon said with a smirk. "But like she said, Photoshop is magical." He clamped a hand on Rose's shoulder.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! That was a lot of stuff! Next chapter, we'll have Damon's fight against Connor and possibly an important Steroline conversation? Possibly?**

 **If ya'll get tired of me saying this every update, I'm sorry in advance BUT… you guys are the best. Thank you thank you thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites.**


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey again new and old readers! You guys are still awesome, in case you were wondering.**

 **As an aside, if anyone is interested in beta-ing the remaining chapters of this fic, will you PM me? I'm shit at proofreading my own work and I'd love another opinion before I hit the "post" button.**

* * *

"So Damon, give us a little insight into what's usually going on in your head before a fight," the blonde reporter asked him and then held the microphone in front of him.

The cameras were rolling in the locker room and when he'd have usually been warming up or listening to some music to get in the zone, he was instead entertaining a small team from ESPN. Alaric stood behind him on Rose's orders, ready to jump in and answer anything that he might flub up.

"I try not to think about the crowds. I strategize with my trainer a little. Mostly, I just try to stay calm. This thing is as much mental as it is physical. All the training and conditioning in the world aren't going to help if you panic," he answered into the mic.

"Any pre-fight rituals?" she asked him.

Damon gripped the ends of the white towel that was draped around his neck as he spoke coolly. "I always enter with my flag. That's important to me because being Italian is a huge part of who I am. If I'm lucky, I'll get a good luck kiss from my girlfriend." He smirked after that last part.

"Elena Gilbert," the reporter clarified. She turned to the camera to give a little backstory about Elena's kidnapping.

Since news of Klaus taking Elena had hit the media circuit, any shred of hope that they could keep their relationship on the down low was pretty much gone. Instead, her face had been plastered all over the news. The one saving grace was the FBI detail outside of her home. They seemed to keep the media from totally invading her privacy.

"Elena's a good person," Damon added. "She's rubbing off on me. Making me soft."

"Well let's hope not too soft. I'm sure you've got to keep a guard up while you're in the ring."

He nodded. "Oh, definitely. I'm taking Jordan down tonight. That you can be sure of."

She turned back to the camera again. "Well there you are, UFC fans. You heard it here first. Losing isn't an option for Damon Salvatore."

The cameraman counted down and then lowered his camera when they were officially off the air. The small crew started to break down their equipment and Alaric gave Damon a pat on the back for doing a good job with the interview.

"See? Told you I didn't need a babysitter," he joked to his trainer.

"You're just full of surprises," Alaric said. "Hands up. Let's get you wrapped and gloved."

The curvy, blonde reporter came up to them just as Alaric started weaving the sports tape through Damon's knuckles. She was short, but her heels partially made up for her lack in height. Still, she had to look up at Damon. "Thanks for the exclusive. Can I be frank with you about something?"

"Uh, sure?" Damon said, confused.

"The way you look when you talk about your girlfriend, well that's what every girl spends her life trying to find," she said. She longingly gazed at the camera man, who was busy wrapping a black cord up. It was clear there was something going on there, but Damon didn't push. It wasn't his business. "It's really quite dreamy. Don't mess that up."

"Thanks. I'm planning on keeping her around for as long as she'll let me," he replied with a wink.

"You're welcome," she said with a sigh. Then she put on a smile and held her head up and started barking orders to her crew. "Alright everyone, let's get back to the studio!"

There was a little more commotion as the news crew packed up and headed out but once the last camera was gone, it was quiet in there. Alaric was pretty much done wrapping up Damon's hands and since he'd agreed to do that interview, it left little time to warm up. He did a few jumping jacks to fire up his muscles. He rolled his shoulders and his neck. He stretched his bad leg out to make sure it wasn't stiff.

All the while, Alaric was in his ear. "Jordan's specialty is floor work. If he gets you on the floor, he'll have the upper hand. Try to stay upright as long as you can."

"Don't fall down. Got it," Damon nodded. For the first time all night, he heard the crowd inside of the coliseum. They were booming, but he tried not to focus on them. Connor Jordan was from North Carolina so the crowd would pretty much be rooting against Damon tonight. He couldn't let that distract him. He had a job to do.

He started to wonder how badly taking that time away from the gym would affect his chances tonight. What if he didn't win? It would be the end of the road and maybe, possibly the end of his fighting career. Giuseppe probably wouldn't want to pour any more money into him and it'd be even harder to get any other sponsors. There was a lot riding on this.

"Gloves," Alaric said, holding them up. He helped Damon get them on and then secured them tight around his hands.

Damon opened and closed his fists, flexing his fingers to make sure he could still grip and jab and do everything he needed to do. When Alaric grabbed the Italian flag to wrap around Damon, he held up a hand.

"What's up?" Alaric asked.

He let out a breath. "I think I need to see my girl first."

"Rose said she's outside the locker room. She'll walk to the ring with us," Alaric replied. He went to put the flag around Damon, but he shrugged out of it.

His nerves were getting to him. More than when he'd had his first fight of his comeback against Kol. He'd come so far already. He'd been through so much. He needed her to center him for a second. She was out there with the rest of his team, including his father, and who's to say she wouldn't get lost in the shuffle? If he had any chance of getting his head right, he had to see before all of that. "Ric, I need to see her first."

Alaric ran a hand over his face in frustration. "Alright. We need to start walking out in about 45 seconds. Make it quick."

Damon nodded and sat down on the wooden bench. Alaric left and when the door to the locker room swung open again, Elena emerged through it.

She gave him a huge smile. "Hey, you. You're going to kill it. I know you will."

"I'm freaking the fuck out," he admitted.

"Been there," she laughed then she walked towards him and sat down on the bench next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, the smallest and most casual gesture. For the briefest moment, it was like they weren't hearing the noise of over 8,000 people cheering in that coliseum. It was like they were just sitting on her living room couch listening to Addie play with her Barbies on the carpet in front of them. It was like they were laughing over a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.

And just like that, the nerves left as quickly as they came. He lifted her chin and pressed a kiss to her lips, a silent thank you for just sitting there with him for a couple of seconds. "I think I'm okay now."

"Good," she nodded. "Let's get you out there. I'm looking forward to cheering you on."

They both stood up and Elena gave him a tight hug, well as tight as she could manage with her small frame wrapped around all of his muscle. She nuzzled into the soft fabric of his tshirt before letting go. "I'll go get Alaric."

He took a deep breath and nodded. He could do this. He would do this.

* * *

Elena sipped on her beer nervously as the fifth round ended, Caroline beside of her at the front of the ring with a bottle of water. It'd been a bloody few rounds and though Damon had gotten in several good hits, if it came down to points the match would probably go to Connor. He'd need to get a submission or a knock out to win.

She watched Alaric wipe a small trickle of blood from Damon's nose and give him some water. This was nothing like the way he dominated Kol or manhandled Luka. Connor was strong and solid and mean as hell with his assault. She could tell Damon was trying to be strategic, but he needed to be a little more aggressive if he was going to come out victorious.

"I wish I could go talk to him," Elena told Caroline over the roar of the crowd.

Caroline laughed. "You know nothing about MMA. He's got a good team. Let Alaric, Rose, and Stefan do their thing."

"Giuseppe won't stop yelling at him," she said with a grimace.

"He's probably used to that, don't you think?"

She took another sip from her beer and nodded, more to herself than Caroline. "You're right. He's got this. He's fine."

As the ring girl completed her loop and the bell dinged to start the next round, Damon and Connor lunged back into the Octagon. They circled around each other before Damon went on the offensive. He threw his weight behind a jab that landed on Connor's jaw, stunning him a little and throwing him off balance. Damon took the opportunity to go at Connor's ribs, hitting him with a couple solid blows before Connor recovered. When he stood up tall and got his hands back up, he got Damon into a clinch and tried pulling him to the floor. Elena noticed that was when Connor had been doing the most damage and she yelled at Damon to stay upright. She wasn't stupid enough to think he could really hear her over all of these people, but it made her feel better to at least pretend she was helping him out.

"Don't let him take you down, Damon!" she bellowed, jumping up and down. Her beer sloshed a little onto her feet. "Shit," she muttered to herself, shaking her black Keds to get the excess liquid off.

When she looked back up to the ring, they were indeed on the floor and wrestling around. Each of them was trying to gain control, but neither had successfully mounted the other for more than just a few seconds. Connor managed to get the upper hand and was maneuvering Damon into a hold and just when Elena started to close her eyes because she couldn't watch him lose, Damon let out a grunt, kicked Connor off, and put him in a kneebar. He pressed down onto the ligaments behind Connor's knee and Connor's face twisted in pain.

It wasn't long before Connor tapped out in defeat, a dejected look on his face. The ref slid in and pried Damon off of Connor, who was now laying on the mat and clutching his knee. She hoped the hold wouldn't cause any permanent damage. Connor seemed like a nice enough guy, if a bit hostile in his fighting style, and she wasn't one to wish ill on people that didn't deserve it.

Before the referee could hold up Damon's hand in victory, he extended a hand to Connor to help him from the floor. Connor took Damon's hand, clearly surprised. This wasn't the kind of thing that happened after a professional fight. Usually the loser would sulk out of the Octagon or get scooped from the floor by his team or the medics while the winner celebrated. Instead, Damon was offering a hand up. He pulled Connor to his feet.

Connor limped on the leg Damon had manipulated, but they shook hands and whispered something to each other. Elena was in the front row, but she couldn't hear over the screaming and she couldn't read lips well enough to know what was being said. With a nod, Connor turned around and limped over to his team outside of the Octagon. Damon turned to the ref, his face bloody and pouring with sweat, but beaming all the same.

When the referee took Damon's hand and held it into the air, even the fans who'd been yelling obscenities at him and the ones wearing shirts with Connor Jordan's face on them had to at least give him a round of applause. And as Elena looked around, she could swear some of Connor's fans were even cheering.

"Told you he'd be fine," Caroline said, clapping her hands together. She hooted and hollered towards Damon. "That's my baby's uncle," she laughed to Elena.

Elena laughed and cheered too, happy tears streaking down her cheeks for him. "He did it! He's going to Vegas!"

Damon climbed the steps down from the ring and instead of immediately disappearing backstage, he jogged around to where Elena and Caroline were standing. He was smiling and she was smiling. She climbed over the small barricade, the burly security guy holding out an arm to stop her. When he saw Damon approaching, he relaxed and let her go.

As soon as Damon reached her, she threw her arms around his neck. She didn't care that he was dripping sweat. He slid his arms around her waist in response. They kissed fiercely and he pulled her up, her feet coming off of the floor. Everything around them blurred and it was just them sharing a celebratory kiss. He was one step closer to getting his title back and though Klaus had done everything he could to stop it, he prevailed. He prevailed and he'd done it with Elena by his side.

She pried her lips from his, her chest heaving with excitement as she whispered to him. "I love you."

He grinned, his gloved hand snaking down and squeezing her ass cheek. "Back at you."

She blushed, suddenly remembering where they were and who was watching them, which it turns out was everyone because their faces were projected onto all of the oversized screens in the coliseum. Sheepishly she turned and gave a wave to everyone as Damon set her feet back down on the floor. The crowd continued their applause and cheers.

He chuckled and planted one more kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you soon, beautiful."

Just like that, he was swept away by his team, a million and one reporters and photographers chasing after him as he made his way backstage. He gave one last wave around the coliseum before he disappeared.

Elena looked at the security guard with an apologetic look as she made her way back over the barricade to Caroline.

"There's PDA and then there's that," Caroline said with a knowing smile. She finished the last of her water bottle and yawned. "I am apparently tired all of the time now."

"You're growing a life. That's exhausting," Elena told her. "I can get you back to the hotel if you want."

"No, it's okay. I should talk to Stefan. I wanted to wait until after the fight. Can we stop by the bathrooms first though? That water went directly through me."

Elena laughed. "Just wait until you're about eight weeks in. You'll have to pee constantly."

The crowd around them was starting to clear out and so they turned to make their way out to the main lobby as well. Elena kept her head downcast as they filed in behind other fans, many of the females looking at her with jealousy and the males looking at her with lust. Being a fighter's girlfriend wasn't without its downsides.

"I'll wait outside," she told Caroline as she leaned against a wall adjacent from the women's restroom. "I want to call and check on Addie."

She was in the middle of fishing her phone from her purse when she heard a voice that made her skin prickle and the small hairs on her arms stand up. A voice that she thought she'd never hear again. A voice of someone she most certainly didn't think she'd run into here. She tried to keep her head down and let her hair cover up her face. Maybe he wouldn't recognize her, but that was stupid because she'd just had her face broadcasted all over the jumbotron to the entire coliseum moments earlier.

"I can't believe you used to hit that," one of his friends said. "Dude, you fucked up leaving that behind."

"She wanted to trap me and I wasn't about to let that happen," he responded. "She's probably trying to do the same thing to Salvatore."

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes and she sniffled, trying to wipe them from her eyes before they fell. That wasn't what happened with them at all, but of course his version of the story would paint him as the good guy and her as the crazy ex-girlfriend.

"Hey!" Another one of his friends shouted at her and she kept her eyes transfixed on the screen of her phone. If she didn't respond, maybe they would keep on walking.

"Elena," Liam spoke and the way he said her name made it all worse, like he felt guilty that she'd overheard him talking about her like that, like he actually cared that he was seeing her again.

Still, she didn't look up. She didn't respond. She just typed out a text to Caroline telling her to hurry the hell up. She didn't tell her why, but Caroline replied right away.

 _Line is super long. I'm sorry. I'll be out as soon as I can._

"Elena?" Liam said again, this time his voice closer to her.

Begrudgingly, she looked up out of obligation. It was clear that he had no intention of just leaving her alone. If she engaged him in conversation, maybe he'd take off as quick as he had when she'd gotten pregnant. After all, Liam never stayed around to talk anything out. He wasn't that type of guy.

He gave her a smile, the same one he'd use when he stayed out late at the bar and came home smelling like perfume that she didn't wear. It made her want to throw up, but instead she forced a smile right back at him and tried not to look him in his bright green eyes.

"I saw you all over the news. Glad to see you're more than alright," he said to her with a nod. He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, his tanned skin and mechanic's muscles flexing in his plaid shirt. "I can't believe you're semi-famous now. How are your parents?"

"They're good," she answered in a clipped tone with little emotion.

"You still working at the garage?" he asked.

She nodded, slipping her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. "I run it now."

He stood there for a moment, clearly unsure what to say next. The fact that she had asked him literally zero about his life hadn't gone unnoticed. His friends all stood a few feet behind him watching the exchange, not close enough to hear anything but still near enough to make her uncomfortable. "Cool. I'll got a job at a garage over on the other side of the city. Nothing glamorous, but it pays the bills."

Elena nodded again, not wanting to let him think for a minute that she was interested in the life he'd made for himself after he abandoned her, after he abandoned his unborn daughter. She readjusted her purse on her shoulder and tried to peer around him to see if Caroline was coming out anytime soon.

"I can sense that you're angry with me," Liam muttered quietly so that his friends couldn't hear.

"Oh, I'm not angry. I just don't care," Elena replied flippantly. "You and I have nothing left to say to each other."

Keeping his quiet tone, he leaned in to her. "Did you keep it? The baby, I mean?"

"She'll be three years old tomorrow," she replied. "She has your eyes, but I don't hold that against her."

"Do you talk about me? Does she know who I am?"

"No and I don't intend to tell her." She raised her chin indignantly. "She's got a really great life full of people who were actually happy that she was born. She doesn't need you."

It was a truthful answer and one that Elena had been rehearsing in her head on the slight chance that Liam ever asked to be a part of Addie's life again. He wasn't wanted. More than that, he absolutely was not needed. Not anymore. She saw Caroline emerge from the bathroom, her smile falling when she noticed three men standing a little too close to Elena.

As Caroline strode over and got a glimpse of Liam's face, she scrunched her nose up. "If it isn't the asshole who abandoned his pregnant girlfriend," she said rather loudly.

Liam hung his head, his friends giving him uneasy looks. "Hey, Caroline. Nice to see you again," he spoke.

She eyed him suspiciously and placed an arm around Elena's shoulder protectively. Caroline was always willing to go to bat for Elena, no matter what. "Still drinking too much and fucking anything that walks?"

He didn't respond, instead turning to look at Elena. "I know I didn't play things out right with you, Elena. We were just kids. I'd like to be a part of my daughter's life now. Every little girl deserves a dad. What's her name?"

Elena shook her head. It was far too little and it was certainly over three years too late. She'd loved Liam back then, given him every ounce of compassion that she could, poured her entire heart into thinking that she could change him and when the shit hit the fan, when she needed him the most, he wasn't there. She couldn't let a man like that in Addie's life, even if they shared the same DNA.

"Addie's got a dad," Caroline blurted out and Elena wanted to shove those words back in. Unfortunately, she couldn't.

"Salvatore?" Liam laughed then looked back at his friends for encouragement. He whipped his head back around to Elena and gave her a look that made her feel very pathetic. "You think that Damon Salvatore is going to play house with you? Raise another man's kid, my kid? You think that he'll love you when you're being neurotic and cranky and controlling as hell? Psh, yeah right."

"Elena!" Rose's voice called out over the crowd of people filing out of the coliseum. "I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, jogging up to them in her heels. She casted a sideways glance at Liam and his friends, but didn't pay them much mind before looking back to Elena. "Damon's looking for you."

She nodded her head, feeling pretty much like total and complete shit at the moment. Caroline and Rose led her away and she winced when she heard Liam call out after her.

"I have a right to see my daughter, Elena! You can't keep her from me!"

Every fiber inside of her was begging her to turn around and tell him that yes, she could keep them apart. He was a textbook case of abandonment and she could have his parental right terminated pretty damn easily. She took a deep breath instead and walked away from him. That wasn't a conversation worth having, not when Damon was waiting to see her and not when she was kind of unsure if that was what was best for Addie.

"Who the fuck was that?" Rose asked as they entered through a corridor that led backstage. The security guard at the door gave them no trouble as they passed through.

"Elena's baby daddy," Caroline said with a roll of her eyes. "First time he's seen her since the day she found out she was pregnant. He's a prick."

"Is he going to be a problem? Want me to get the paperwork together for a restraining order or something?" Rose asked Elena, kindness and concern in her tone, which was unusual because Rose was rarely like that.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Elena asked her.

Rose shrugged, her red hair bouncing against her shoulders. "You're good for him. I don't want anything to fuck that up."

"Don't tell Damon, okay?" Elena pleaded. "I don't want anything to ruin his celebration. He deserves all the good things that are coming his way. For now, let's just pretend that didn't happen."

"Elena," Caroline started in.

Elena stopped walking. "I'm serious, don't. Liam lives in Charlotte. I won't ever see him again. Neither will Addie if I have anything to say about it."

Rose and Caroline both nodded. The three of them resumed walking down the hallway and when they came to closed door, Rose knocked her knuckles against it. It swung open and much like the living room set up she'd seen after his second fight, this room was arranged the same way. Couches and chair, a coffee table, a wet bar with snacks and drinks, a large television mounted to the wall.

Inside, Damon, Alaric, Stefan, and even Giuseppe were enjoying a celebratory drink. Elena had had minimal run-ins with Giuseppe, mostly in passing and she got the feeling that Damon liked it that way. Still, he was the person responsible for rescuing her and for that she at least owed him a thank you.

She walked in. Rose poured herself a drink and Caroline sat down on the arm of the chair Stefan was propped up in. When she neared them all, she tried to push what happened with Liam out of her head. This was more important. The people in this room were far more important than anything he said or wanted to say.

"Mr. Salvatore, I don't think I ever got the chance to thank you," she said, extending her hand out to him.

Damon's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He braced himself for whatever contemptuous thing Giuseppe was about to utter, mentally rehearsing how he'd have to come to Elena's defense against his father. The expected sneer never came.

Giuseppe merely shrugged and took a sip from his rocks glass. "It had to be done. You're important to my son, which means you're important to me."

That honestly may have been the kindest thing Damon had ever heard come out of his father's mouth. The man didn't say nice things, at least not to or about Damon. Maybe it was because he was in such a good mood from the fight. It always made things better when Damon won him some money. Maybe it was because he just didn't want to let his usual rudeness put a damper on a happy occasion. Damon honestly couldn't figure out the ulterior motives, but he wasn't about to waste his night trying to figure it out.

He extended his hand out to Elena. "Come here, you," he smirked at her.

She smiled back and took a couple steps over to him. He pulled her down to sit in his lap and she snatched his glass of whiskey from him, taking a generous gulp of the amber liquid. She handed it back to him, well what was left of it.

"Sure. You can have some," he said with a chuckle.

"Where's all the press?" Elena asked Rose, looking around the room.

"Damon and I had a deal. Minimal post-fight interviews if he did the photo-shoot and locker room thing earlier. Tonight's about the family. I did plan a surprise party downtown. Didn't want to announce anything beforehand, just in case things didn't go like we wanted them to," Rose answered.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "You doubted me?"

She smiled and laughed. "Not doubted. I'm just always prepared for all scenarios."

"I don't know if I can handle a party," Caroline yawned, throwing a hand over her open mouth.

"I can take you home," Stefan offered, quietly stroking her leg with his fingers.

"How many of those have you had?" Caroline asked, gesturing to the drink in his hand.

"Four?" he guessed.

Damon hadn't been counting, but that sounded about right. With a weight lifted off all of their shoulders until Las Vegas came around in January, the celebrating started with a bang. They'd been downing Glenlivet XXV for a while now. Giuseppe never skimped when it came to dark liquor so they were drinking the good stuff.

"I can drive," Elena volunteered. "I'll take her back to the hotel and meet you downtown at the party?" she asked Damon. "I should probably change anyways. Not exactly dressed for a party."

He looked down at her tight jeans and equally tight sweater. He'd gladly attend any party where she'd be in that outfit. He also really didn't want to let her out of his sight, for multiple reasons. Being around Elena just felt right and of course, Klaus was still out there somewhere.

"I don't want to let go of you," he said, tightening his grip around her.

"You're looking a little pale, babe," Stefan commented and everyone turned to look at Caroline, whose face was indeed white as a sheet. "I'll come back with you. Make sure you're not getting sick."

"Is no one coming to my party?" Rose pouted. "I worked so hard on it."

Elena laughed. "I'll meet you, Alaric, Damon, and Mr. Salvatore there. Where's it at?"

"The Levine Museum," she answered. "I packed a suit for you, Damon."

"Oh, goody. Can't wait to wear a suit again," he remarked dryly.

Elena planted a kiss on his cheek and then he went straight in for her lips before she could slide off his lap. He'd kiss her all night. Didn't matter who was looking.

"I'll see you soon," she smiled at him as she stood up.

"I love you," he told her.

"Right back at you," she winked.

* * *

The car ride back to the hotel was quiet. Stefan said in the passenger seat of the car as Elena drove. He'd tried to get Caroline to sit in the front, but she insisted that she just wanted to stretch out in the back and fall asleep. Fall asleep she did, her soft snores being the only noise in the Camaro while they turned into the parking lot for the Hilton.

"Are you coming to The Levine Museum?" Elena asked Stefan when she put the car in park.

He looked conflicted and rightfully so. Stefan and Damon had just started to mend their relationship, but she could tell he was worried about Caroline.

"You should stay with her," she told him. Sometimes it helped to have someone suggest it first.

"I'm needed there. I'm Damon's manager," Stefan whispered so as not to disturb Caroline's sleeping.

"And his brother. He'll understand if you need to take care of her."

When Elena shut the car off, Stefan got out, reached into the backseat, and emerged with Caroline draped across his arms. He'd taken off his coat and wrapped it around her for a little extra warmth. Elena smiled. He was so protective over Caroline, in a way that the father of her child had never been. It made her slightly jealous.

"Do you know what's going on with her?" Stefan asked as they got into the elevator from the hotel lobby.

Elena punched the button to the sixth floor and leaned back against the glass wall behind her. It wasn't her place to say. That was a conversation that Caroline needed to have with Stefan. Besides, she didn't exactly have a good track record of delivering surprise pregnancy news to an expectant father. She nodded her head in response to his question. "But I can't tell you," she added.

"Things were so good with us and then all of a sudden, they're different. I'm just so confused," he continued on.

"You two should really talk to each other," Elena suggested.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, Damon said the same thing. He said you two are honest and open now."

"We are," she replied, but it was lie because she'd deliberately sat on his lap and pretended that Liam hadn't just said the things he said to her minutes earlier. It was dishonest, but she was protecting Damon's feelings. He didn't need to know about it, not tonight. Maybe not ever.

The bell dinged on the sixth floor and the two of them stepped out of the elevator as soon as the doors slid open. They walked down the hall and Caroline started to wake up in Stefan's arms.

"Where are we?" she asked him wearily.

"The Hilton," he told her. "You looked so exhausted. I was trying to let you sleep."

They got to their rooms and Elena was about to slide her keycard into her door, leaving the two of them to have a conversation that was overdue, when Caroline's voice called out to her. "Elena, don't leave."

If Caroline needed her, Elena would put her own shit aside for a minute. As inviting as the prospect of having a good cry alone in her hotel room was, she stuck her keycard in her pocket and turned around. Caroline was now standing on her own, her foot propping open the door to her and Stefan's room.

"You got this, Care. Stefan cares about you so much," Elena told her quietly.

"I need you to be with me when I tell him."

Elena nodded. "Alright." She stepped across the hall and into the hotel room.

It looked just like the one she was sharing with Damon, only the layout was reversed since it was on the other side of the hallway. Stefan was sitting on the couch in their suite, his tie untied and hanging loosely around his neck.

"Caroline, what's going on?" he asked her looking up to see Elena timidly trailing behind her.

Caroline just shook her head, tears forming without words.

"Are you sick?" Stefan asked. "Are we breaking up?"

Elena placed a reassuring hand on the small of Caroline's back and nudged her towards Stefan a little. "Everyone in this room cares about you, Care."

She swiped at her eyes with her fingers, her black mascara now smudged a little. "Stefan," she began. She turned around to look at Elena for a little extra encouragement.

Elena nodded. "Go ahead, Care," she told her.

Caroline turned back to Stefan and crossed her arms protectively over her stomach, a mother's instinct kicking in to shield her child from whatever words might be spoken during the following exchange. "There's not exactly an eloquent way to tell you this. I'm going to be a mom."

Stefan opened his mouth to say something, but Caroline held up a finger and interjected before he could.

"Before you say anything," she spoke. "I'm prepared to do this without you, if I have to. I'm not getting rid of it. I'm not asking you for any money or anything, well unless you wanted to. If you don't want anything to do with me anymore, that's fine. You're off the hook. Elena did it without Liam. I can do it without you, but I just thought you should know."

He sat there quietly, listening to her rattle off the speech that she'd probably been rehearsing since yesterday. He didn't interrupt, he didn't move. He just sat there and listened.

When Caroline was finished, she turned to Elena, who was beaming with pride that she'd actually told him. She knew firsthand how hard of a blow that was to deliver and the encounter with Liam earlier in the night had only served as a reminder of that conversation.

"Can I talk now?" Stefan asked.

Caroline turned back around to look at him and he stood from the couch. She nodded her head.

"I feel like you came into this conversation with a predetermined idea of my reaction, right?" he asked her, taking a couple steps forward in her direction.

Caroline nodded her head again. "Well, we aren't exactly serious."

"I'm serious about you, Caroline Forbes," Stefan countered. "And I'm excited as hell to raise a kid with you."

Thankfully, there weren't any flies buzzing around in that hotel room because they surely would have flown directly in Caroline's mouth as it dropped wide open in shock. She took a running leap into his arms and started to pepper his face with kisses of appreciation.

"I am so glad to hear you say that because I was really scared I was going to have to do this on my own," she told him.

"Should we get married?" he asked through a smile.

"I am not going to be pregnant at my own wedding. No way am I settling for an empire waist dress," she told him. "I'm rocking a tight mermaid silhouette and I want to be drunk on champagne before noon."

He laughed and bent down to place a kiss on her stomach and then got down on one knee. "Forgive the absence of a ring," he told her, looking up at her. "We don't have to get married right away, but will you agree to marry me someday?"

She nodded her head, pulling him up to his feet. They shared a kiss that finally snapped Elena out of her daze.

She didn't need to be here anymore, interrupting on their private moment. Elena backed out of the hotel room, shouting out a congratulations on her way out. Caroline and Stefan were so wrapped up in each other that they waved to her only as the door was closing.

Out in the hallway and finally alone, Elena let the tears come. She was so happy for Caroline, so excited to meet that little life that was sure to be just as vivacious and loud as its mother and as kind and patient as its father. That didn't mean that she wasn't burning with jealousy. When Elena told Liam about Addie, that was the reaction she wanted; and if she were being honest, it still stung that she didn't get it.

What about her had been so easy to leave? Would Damon do the same eventually? She opened the door to her hotel room and plopped onto the large bed. Staring up at the white ceiling, she couldn't stop thinking about what Liam had said to her. Maybe Damon was around now and he thought she was the one for him, but it seemed unlikely that it would stay that way forever. She couldn't let the idea of him in her life get too comfortable.

When her phone buzzed with a text, she swiped at the screen. Damon was wondering where she was. He was probably at that party surrounded by promotional models and ring girls. She stood up and plucked the only semi-risqué dress she'd packed from her suitcase. She'd look frumpy as hell next to all of them. She typed out a message back to him and hit send.

 _Got Caroline all settled in. Stefan's staying here. I might too._

She stuffed the dress back into her bag and instead reached for a pair of pajama pants. She unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and started to kick out of her Keds when her phone buzzed again on the table next to her.

 _Please come. I want to show you off._

Elena gave in, sighing and pulling out the blue dress she'd packed. She hadn't worn it since her high school graduation and she had no idea if it even still fit. Her hips were much wider now after having Addie. Her phone vibrated against the table and this time it was a phone call from Damon.

"Hey," she answered it, putting it on speakerphone as she tried to find the pair of heeled boots that she packed. They were spiky and kind of punk-rock in style, but they were fancy enough to go with a cocktail dress and she wouldn't be tripping over stilettos all night.

Music was booming in the background as Damon spoke. "Hey, gorgeous. I miss touching you. Please tell me you're coming here," he begged.

She rolled her eyes. How much longer would that kind of lust even last? That kind of love wasn't sustainable, at least it hadn't been for her. "I'm coming," she told him. "I just have to get changed."

"Don't be too long. Alaric's feeding me shots," he chuckled and she could hear Alaric's voice booming in the background. "Someone has to rescue me and charm my dad into not being mad at me for drinking too much."

"I'll be there soon." She shimmied out of her jeans, letting them fall to the floor. She grabbed her dress and boots in one hand.

"I love you," he breathed into the phone, the tune of the music changing to a different song.

"I love you too," she told him because she really did and she wanted to say it as much as she could before he changed his mind.

* * *

Damon and Alaric stood at the bar as the bartender refilled their shot glasses. They clinked their glasses together and knocked them back.

"Told you I'd get you back to Vegas," Alaric told him.

"And now that you have," Damon said, clamping a hand on Alaric's shoulder. "Now that you have, it's time to get you laid."

The bartender came over and refilled their shot glasses again. Her gaze lingered a little on Alaric, but he was completely oblivious to it. Damon noticed. He was perceptive when he drank. He had to be with his history of getting into drunken fights. Rose would chop off his balls if he let that happen at this party and with Giuseppe just a few feet away, he'd have trouble talking himself out of that one.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Damon called out to the bartender over the music.

"Joette," she answered Damon, but she was looking directly at Alaric.

"This is my friend, Ric," he told her. "He's shy, but he thinks you're beautiful."

Joette extended her hand over the bar in Alaric's direction. "Nice to meet you, Ric," she said with a giggle.

Alaric gave Damon a dirty look but then turned his attention to her. "I actually prefer Alaric," he said as he shook her hand.

"Alaric it is," Joette nodded. "My friends call me Jo and I always hate that."

Damon watched on in satisfaction with himself. He was one hell of a wingman. No one could tell him any different. He grabbed a drink from a waiter who was passing through the crowd, a Crown and coke, not his favorite but it'd do. He didn't want to interrupt Alaric and Joette's conversation on account of his mild alcoholism.

"I'm this idiot's trainer," Alaric told her, pointing to Damon.

Joette laughed. "I'm just bartending here part-time while I'm finishing nursing school then I'm getting out of Charlotte. It gets old after a while."

With his good deed done for the night, Damon sauntered away to see if Elena had arrived yet. If not, he'd wait by the front door for her. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Well, and his mouth. The minute he could hear her sweet voice chastise him for groping her too much in public, all would be right and he could enjoy the party a hell of a lot more. He was just glad he called to talk her into coming.

He adjusted his tie with his free hand and sipped his drink from the other. As he weaved through the crowd to look for her, multiple potential sponsors stopped him to talk about money. It seemed like everyone was finally ready to roll out the money train after he'd beaten Connor Jordan.

"The way you helped him up after the fight, that's the kind of guy I want to put my money on," one man told him. "Son, you've got integrity and it'll get you far."

He didn't think of himself as a man with integrity. He was kind of a scoundrel, at least he had been for most of his life. The only thing he could think of as he saw Jordan writhing in pain on the floor was how he was someone's son and maybe even someone's father. He couldn't just start celebrating without making sure he was okay first. And he respected Jordan. He was a damn good fighter who fought clean. In another world where they were in different weight classes, they may have even been friends.

"Salvatore!" some guy yelled from across the room.

Damon's head turned in that direction to see a guy he didn't know pushing himself through the sea of people. Could've been another potential sponsor so he stopped to extend his hand out to the guy. He didn't accept the handshake.

It was then that he realized that guy wasn't even dressed for the party, like he hadn't been invited. He was in jeans and a plaid button down and he was clearly far drunker than Damon. Could've been a drunken fan who decided to crash the party. That happened more often than you'd think.

"I'd be happy to sign something for you, man," Damon told him. He felt around on his suit jacket. "I don't think I've got a pen though."

The guy sized him up and pointed a finger in Damon's face. "Don't think for a fucking second that I don't have my eye on you, Salvatore."

"Have we met?" he asked, confused. He was really trying to place this guy, but he had no idea who the hell he was. Trying to keep his cool, after all, he couldn't exactly get aggressive or throw a punch in the middle of this crowd of very important people, he took a step back from him.

"No, but you've met my ex," he spat. "And my daughter, apparently."

Damon froze, his only movement was his fist clenching tightly onto the glass in his hand. This was the asshole who'd not only left Elena, but left Addie too. Elena was reluctant to ever share much more detail with him than that, but it was all he really needed to know. The kind of person who could walk away from the two of them wasn't the kind of person he wanted at his party or even in this building. Truthfully, he didn't want the guy walking this earth anymore.

Still, he had to play nice. He didn't want to, but he had to. For Rose. For his career. For Elena. So he turned around to set his glass down onto a nearby cocktail table. When he faced the guy again, he put his hands up in front of him. No sudden movements meant that he could maybe keep the peace.

"Look," he told him. "No one wants a fight here. This is an important event for me. I'm trying to turn a new leaf. And I hit people for a living, man. I don't want to have to hurt you. Just walk out of here and don't come back."

"Enjoy fucking that crazy bitch," the guy spoke with a wry smile. "I know I sure did."

It took every bit of self-control for Damon to watch that guy turn around and walk out. What would have felt much better was to defend Elena's honor. What he really wanted to do was pummel the guy who would never know how amazing Addie was. What would have given him great satisfaction was to hit him so hard that he became a permanent part of the refinished hardwood floor beneath his feet. But he didn't because he was trying to be better, more responsible. Even if it killed him inside to let the guy walk away scot free.

His tie was too tight and he wanted to take it off. He was suddenly so sweaty and itchy in the stupid Armani suit that Rose had picked out for him. The music was too damn loud and the chitchat was starting to get annoying. To put it quite frankly, he didn't want to be there anymore. He balled his fists up at his sides as he made his way back to the bar. Alaric and Joette were still shamelessly flirting, but Damon's good mood was pretty much gone at this point and he needed another drink if he was going to get through the rest of this night.

"Hey Joette, can I get a double Wild Turkey neat?" Damon interrupted.

Alaric gave him a look telling him to scram, but Damon just stood there expectantly.

"Sorry to break up the love fest and all, but I'm thirsty as hell," Damon added. There. At least he apologized for the disturbance. He still had a little manners buried beneath the fury that had overtaken him.

Joette nodded her head. "Sure." Then she looked at Alaric. "I should probably get back to pouring drinks. You've got my number. Use it."

She turned around and reached for the bottle of Wild Turkey from the bar display on the wall. As she was fishing a clean rocks glass out, Alaric shot daggers at Damon with his eyes.

"You wanted me to talk to a pretty girl. I was talking to a pretty girl," he told him, a little annoyed. "Would be nice if you'd actually let me talk to her."

Damon was distractedly scanning the crowd for Elena, who was still a no-show at this point. "Your babysitting duties are needed, Ric," he replied to his best friend. "Or else I'm going to do something stupid."

Alaric groaned. "What's going on now?"

"Addie's birth father crashed the party," Damon answered, his eyes still searching for a glimpse of Elena's brunette waves. "Took everything in me not to kill him as soon as I realized who he was."

Joette set a drink down next to Damon on the bar. "Here you go!" she said cheerfully. "Anything for you, Alaric?"

"No thanks, Joette," he declined. "I'm good for now. I'll call you, okay?"

She smiled, nodded, and walked away to attend to some of the other people waiting at the bar. The other bartenders were all bustling around with her. Something about an open bar made people drink more than they normally would, but Rose would never throw a party without one. She held a philosophy that alcohol was the great equalizer and that it brought people together.

"Is he still here?" Alaric asked, seeing that Damon seemed to be looking through the room full of people.

"He better not be," Damon said, an edge in his voice as he took a generous sip of bourbon. "I let him walk away once. Won't happen again."

"Who are we looking for then?"

"Elena."

Alaric nodded. "Want me to wait outside with you for her?"

Damon grabbed his drink from the bar and the two of them squeezed through the dance floor. When they came to the main lobby, Elena was standing right outside the glass front doors of the museum dressed to the nines and looking absolutely stunning. And she was yelling at someone who was out of view.

"If it's him, I'll kill him," Damon said, starting for the front doors. It was one thing to let the guy talk shit to him, quite another to sit there and watch him even dare to speak to Elena.

Alaric grabbed him by the arm to try to pull him back, but even on his best day he couldn't have kept Damon from moving forward, let alone after all of those drinks. Damon easily shrugged out of his grip and took long, angry strides to the row of doors. He flung one of them open and stepped out into the wintery night, the temperature so cold that he could see his own breath in the air.

"I told you earlier I wanted to see her!" the guy exclaimed, his hands waving wildly in the air. "At the coliseum, I told you I wanted to put this behind us. Salvatore isn't going to put up with your bullshit forever, Elena and deep down you fucking know that!"

"Get out of here, Liam!" Elena yelled, turning around to go inside. "You're drunk! Go home!"

Liam lunged for her, trying to pull on her arm and make her stay. She whipped around, reared back, and punched him directly in the stomach, causing him to double over.

After that, Damon didn't see anything else for a few seconds. He literally blacked out and when he came to, he was on top of Liam and his fist was repeatedly striking at the guy's face. It was bloody and he was nearly unconscious and Damon knew that if kept on hitting him, he could very well kill him. He momentarily pondered if it would have been worth it. The bourbon mixed with the adrenaline wasn't doing much to talk him out of it.

"Damon! Damon, stop! Please stop!" Elena called out. Her small hands grabbed at his shoulders to try to pull him off.

The minute he felt her touch him, Damon stopped attacking. She was crying and suddenly his absolute first priority became making sure she was okay. He stood, his knuckles covered in blood for the second time tonight, and left Liam writhing on the ground. When he wrapped his arms around Elena and she buried her face into his dress shirt, he let his muscles relax. She was going to be okay and that was really what mattered.

"Damon, what have you done?" Rose whispered in absolute shock, her hands flying to her face as her heels clicked against the concrete sidewalk. She bent down to examine the nearly unconscious Liam and took his pulse. "Someone hand me a bloody phone!" she said, looking up at the crowd of people who had formed outside.

Alaric fished his cell phone out of his suit pocket and handed it to Rose, who immediately dialed 911 and called for an ambulance. Liam would live, but only because Damon had allowed him to.

Giuseppe stood with his suit jacket draped over his arm in bewilderment. "There's not enough money in the world to fix this," he muttered sorrowfully. "Damon, I thought you were changing. I thought things were getting better."

Elena couldn't look around at the scene surrounding her. She could hear it all happening, hear all of the disappointment and the approaching sirens, but she didn't want to see it with her own eyes. Instead, she kept her face pressed tightly against Damon's chest. Like it or not, Liam was right. She was a whole batch of crazy wrapped in a pretty little package and Damon would tire of it. In fact, maybe this would be the final straw. All she'd caused in his life was trouble and disruption.

Tonight wouldn't be without consequences. If Liam pressed charges, Damon could be suspended from the league in an instant. This wasn't just some little bar brawl, this was felony assault. And it was all because of her and maybe if she'd been honest with him about seeing Liam before, they wouldn't be in this mess right now.

It was like a bucket of cold water washed over Damon as a large police officer with a kind face regretfully pried him away from Elena. He didn't want to let her go, but he couldn't afford not to. Adding a resisting arrest charge on top of whatever this was going to run him wouldn't make things any better for him.

"Sir, we need you to come with us for questioning. You aren't under arrest just yet," the officer spoke to him. "But I do still need to cuff you for the safety of my officers."

Damon nodded, staying silent. He placed his hands behind his back and let the officer tighten a pair of cold, metal handcuffs around his wrists. As he was being stuffed into the back of the police car, he caught a glimpse of Liam strapped to a stretcher and being loaded onto the back of an ambulance. The emotion of seeing that wasn't satisfying like he'd thought it would be. Instead, it was regretful.

Why hadn't Elena told him that she saw Liam at the coliseum? He would have never let her leave his sight if he knew about that. He knew something seemed off with her as she kissed him goodbye and left for the hotel, but he didn't push because they didn't keep secrets anymore. At least that's what he thought.

The doors to the police cruiser closed and Elena watched as Rose rushed over to one of the police officers. "When will he be released?" she asked. "I need the address where you're taking him."

"Have his lawyer come down to the station," he told her as he handed her a card. "That's the address. We'll know more once we question him and speak with the other party involved."

Rose let out a frustrated sigh. "Thank you, officer."

When the ambulance and the police cars were all gone, Elena grabbed the keys to the Camaro in her hand and was getting ready to find her way to the police station. Maybe tomorrow they could talk and if he wanted her to, she'd take herself out of his life. Right now, she really just didn't want him sitting alone in a jail cell over something that wasn't even his fault.

Instead, Rose started to shoo away the crowd outside. "Well everyone, party is over if you couldn't tell." Then she started to bark orders. "Elena, I need you to go back to the Hilton and stay there. Alaric, make sure she gets to her room okay. Giuseppe, we need to call Stefan to see if he knows a good attorney in the area and have him meet us at the station."

"I want to go with you and Giuseppe," Elena disputed.

"That's not a good idea, Elena," she said firmly. "Go back to the Hilton."

* * *

 **A/N: Things look bad right now, but I'm not leaving you hanging! This is a two part update!**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: This is part 2 of a 2 part update! Go back and read the last chapter first before you start this one or it won't make any sense!**

* * *

After a restless night, tossing and turning alone in the king-sized hotel bed, Elena was still in her dress from last night. She peeled it off her skin and tossed it onto the floor beside the bed. She was up all night waiting on a phone call, hoping that she'd hear something from Rose or Stefan or Alaric or anyone at all. There'd been no news.

She trudged into the bathroom and looked into the mounted mirror. Her hair was a mess of bobby pins and her eyeliner was smeared around her eyes, further accentuating the dark circles underneath them. She set to work picking out bobby pins until a small stack of them were resting on the bathroom counter and then she splashed some water on her face. When someone knocked on her hotel door, she reached for one of those white embroidered robes from the back of the bathroom door and pulled it around herself.

There was a little bit of hope inside that maybe it was Damon. Instead, she pulled the door open to see Caroline standing there with two coffee cups in her hand.

Caroline held a cup out to Elena. "I got your favorite," she said, waving it in front of her face. "And green tea for me."

Elena grabbed the cup and then stepped aside to let Caroline into her room. As she closed the door, she turned to look at her. "Do you know what happened last night?"

"Bits and pieces," Caroline answered as she sat down on the couch. "I know Stefan got woken up at midnight to call in a favor to a lawyer buddy of his from Columbia and then he had to leave to go to the police station, where he stayed all night."

"Damon hit Liam," Elena said with a sigh. "Well he more than hit him, he nearly beat him into a coma."

She sat down beside of Caroline on the couch and sipped from her cup of coffee. After a minute or so, Caroline reached for her hand. "It'll be okay," she tried to comfort her. "I'm sure it'll turn out okay."

"Caroline, this is all my fault. He's going to lose his career over me," Elena said as she shook her head.

"Is Liam pressing charges?"

"I'd imagine so, but he wasn't exactly in the kind of state to decide that last night as they carted him off in the back of an ambulance," Elena replied.

"That bad, huh?"

Elena nodded.

"I think we need to go see Liam," Caroline said. "And before you interrupt me and tell me the million reasons why we shouldn't, I'm going to tell you the only one that matters. Addie. The man who was willing to step in and be a father to her, not an uncle, an actual father is sitting at the police station right now and you owe it to her to talk Liam into not pressing charges. You and Damon need to go home to be with her on her birthday. She needs you. Both of you."

Her knee-jerk reaction was to say no. She was too fearful, too scared of the things that Liam might say to her, but that would be a completely selfish decision and she'd already done enough damage to Damon's life. They were good together, but were they good for each other? It was decisions like this that made her wonder.

After a minute or so, she nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

She didn't really want to get dressed; she didn't really even want to move, but she did it anyway. She shoved her legs into some jeans and her feet into her pair of black Keds. She threw on one of Damon's black t-shirts and it dwarfed her, coming down to the middle of her thigh. But it smelled like him so she kept it on. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail, wiped the remnants of last night's makeup off of her face, and sucked it up.

Elena and Caroline rode in the Camaro to the hospital, the radio a low hum. Once they parked in the large parking garage, they started to walk towards the main building. They had no idea what floor he'd be on or if he was even allowed visitors, but they were here and they had to at least try.

A receptionist in pink scrubs at the front desk smiled at them as they walked in then looked back down at her computer. She must have assumed they at least knew where they were going. Elena walked up to the desk and cleared her throat softly, the sound echoing in the large atrium.

"I'm hoping to visit a friend," she said quietly.

The receptionist looked up at her and readied her hands on the keyboard. "Name?" she asked.

"William Davis. He was brought in last night," she replied, standing on her toes to peer over the desk. "He's about 26 years old, if that helps narrow it down?"

She typed on the computer to search for him and after a couple of seconds she looked back up to Elena and Caroline. "He's in room 208, but he can only have one visitor at a time right now."

Caroline nodded on Elena's behalf. "Thank you," she said, grabbing Elena's hand and dragging her to the elevator. She punched the number two button.

When the doors shut, Elena turned to her with panic on her face. "I can't go in there alone, Care."

"Yes, you can. You're stronger than you think you are," Caroline told her.

The elevator ride to the second floor was pretty short, much to Elena's dismay. When they stepped out onto the clean grey tile flooring, she'd wished she had about ten more floors to prepare herself. Instead, she found herself standing outside of room 208 way too soon.

"I'll wait out here," Caroline told her, leaning up against the white wall to the left of the door. She pulled out her phone to keep herself occupied.

Elena nodded. She had her hand on the doorknob for what seemed like a really long time. She really didn't want to go in there. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. What if whatever she said made things even worse? She tended to have that effect on Liam.

"You got this," Caroline said. She put a reassuring hand on Elena's back. "Do it for Damon. Do it for Addie."

"For Damon and Addie," Elena breathed out as she pushed the door open. It fell closed behind her with a much louder noise than she anticipated and she jumped at the sound.

Liam heard it too and turned his head to see who was coming into his room. His face was bruised, his lip busted. His nose had a splint on it, which meant it was probably broken. He narrowed his eyes at Elena as she took very uncertain steps towards his hospital bed, but he didn't say anything.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey? That's all you can say is hey?" he countered angrily.

She took a deep breath. For Damon. For Addie. It was up to her to make this right. "I'm so sorry about what happened, Liam."

"Not as sorry as your boyfriend will be when I sue his ass and take him for all he's worth, after he goes to fucking jail of course," he gritted out. He turned his head and looked away from her. "And after that, I'm going to court with you too. I want to see my daughter. I might try for sole custody, who knows?"

"Liam," she started again in a calm tone. That last part was meant to get a rise out of her, but she wouldn't let it. She wouldn't allow him to upset her. This was all just too important for her to get hysterical right now. "Addie is the most precious thing in this world to me. I could understand why you'd want to be a part of her life. I'm willing to discuss it with you, but only if I feel like you have her best interest at heart. And it is absolutely in her best interest that you don't sue Damon or press charges. She loves him and she needs him around."

"Why?" Liam shot back. "I'm her father. Me." He pointed to his chest, the IV tube in his arm stretching with him as he did so.

"I'm willing to talk about supervised visitation," Elena continued on. She sat down in the chair next to him and rested her purse in her lap. "And then we'll see how that goes."

"I don't need to negotiate with you, Elena. She's my blood. I can see her if I want to."

"Liam, I never terminated your parental rights because it was Addie's decision if she wanted to ever see you. If she ever asked, I wanted her to have that option," Elena told him in a calm tone. She was surprisingly keeping her cool despite how antagonistic he was acting. "But any lawyer would be willing to draw that paperwork up based on the grounds of abandonment. I really don't want to do that."

He puffed his chest out a little, seething through his nose. "So you're blackmailing me?"

"No. I'm saying that if you love your daughter, you won't take Damon away from her. And if you let whatever hate you have for Damon override the concern you have for Addie, then you have no place in her life."

Liam stayed silent for a while. He looked like he was mulling it all over in his head, trying to figure out if she was bluffing, trying to find a way to get the upper hand. She waited patiently while he worked it all out in his head. If she pushed, he'd push back. He had to think that he was doing this because he wanted to, not because she was telling him to.

"Is he good to her?" he asked Elena, turning to look her in the eye.

"Damon? He's the best with her. It's like they speak the same language. Sometimes, it feels like they're the only ones who are in on an inside joke," she answered honestly. Her face lit up when she talked about the two of them together. "She's really happy and he would do absolutely anything for her."

He nodded his head. "Alright."

"Alright?" she questioned.

"He doesn't have anything to worry about," he said. "But I want to see Addie. You owe me that much."

Happy tears fell down Elena's face. "Thank you, Liam. Sometimes being a parent means putting your child's needs before your own desires and you just did that. After Christmas, I promise that you can see her."

* * *

The ride home from Charlotte couldn't have been any more different than the initial ride down there had been. Damon gripped the steering wheel in his hands, his sunglasses covering his eyes. He had a few scrapes and bruises on his face from his fight with Connor Jordan. His knuckles were mostly battered from the way he'd punched Liam. He'd spent the last night in a police station and he was fucking exhausted.

He looked over to Elena, who had her feet propped up on the dashboard and her head resting on a balled up sweatshirt that was wedged against the window. She was unusually quiet as they loaded up the car outside the Hilton and then she fell asleep as soon as they'd hit the highway. She must not have gotten any sleep last night either.

When the police told him he was free to go this morning, he was honestly shocked. He didn't deny hitting Liam. That fancy lawyer Stefan called in told him he should've claimed self-defense, but who would have really believed that nonsense? He was a skilled fighter and the guy was a small-time mechanic. So instead he was honest and he readied himself for the consequences of that honesty.

But those consequences never came and he wasn't stupid. He knew that the only way he was able to get out of that had to be because Liam didn't want to press any charges. What he couldn't figure out was why and when he'd asked Elena if she knew why, all she told him was that she wanted to talk about it after Addie's birthday party.

Stefan and Caroline stayed closed behind him on the interstate. Rose and Alaric had opted to fly home on the jet with Giuseppe. They were all on their way back and when they got there, there was still a lot to sort out. Rose would need to deal with the media. Just because the charges went away didn't mean the reporters would. It was her job to contain the story before word got out to anyone.

Giuseppe had to do some damage control on his end too. Anytime either of his sons fucked up, he had to preemptively make sure that didn't affect his business. His father had been unusually and eerily quiet all last night at the station and whenever he did say anything, he never yelled. To Damon, that pretty much made it worse. Anger he could deal with, disappointment was a whole new thing. For his father to be disappointed in him, he'd have to put some faith in him first and Giuseppe had never done that. Until now.

Stefan briefly mentioned something about Damon becoming an uncle last night and at the time it seemed like there were bigger fish to fry, but you can bet he'd be asking him about that shit as soon as possible. If Caroline had a kid swimming around in her stomach, there were plans that would need to be made.

Alaric was taking a much deserved vacation at the cabin. He'd been working non-stop to get Damon ready for the fight and now he planned to isolate himself at the cabin for a week to go hunting and drink bourbon. Damon was supposed to join him for a couple of days, but he had no idea if the offer still stood after what happened the previous night. It probably did. Alaric didn't really hold grudges, but Damon was also kind of an asshole.

He and Elena had a birthday party to try to salvage. They were going to be late as it was, despite the fact that he was pushing the speed limit the whole way back. The plus side of doing the whole shindig at Elena's house was that they could postpone it for a couple hours without too much trouble. Of course the downside was that Addie didn't get the bouncy house she wanted, but it was just way too cold outside for it.

Everyone had something to get back to, something to keep them busy once they got back home. Damon looked down at the dashboard. He'd have to stop for gas soon since the gauge was almost on empty. When he started looking for signs to a nearby gas station, he heard Elena stir in her seat.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, her voice still raspy from sleep.

He glanced over to her and her eyes were half open, her feet still propped up, his leather jacket draped across her like a blanket. He nodded. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry about everything that happened," she said with an undertone of sadness.

"I just wish you would have told me that you'd spoken to him after my fight. Maybe things could have played out differently." He took an exit that had a few gas stations to choose from on it. He'd try to grab them something quick to eat too. They hadn't even really eaten breakfast and it was already eleven in the morning.

"I didn't want to spoil the evening," she argued.

He rolled his eyes as he pulled up to a gas pump. "Well that pretty much backfired."

When he threw the car door open and stepped out to pump some gas, she sat back in her seat and transfixed her gaze on her lap. Elena felt awful about the whole thing. Even though she'd talked Liam into letting it go, the whole thing really felt like her fault. Her swooping in at the last minute to fix it didn't really negate that. And she was an adult, a mother for crying out loud. She didn't want two grown men fighting over her like boys in a schoolyard.

She sat there and watched him lean against the driver's side door as he waited for the gas to pump. She didn't want to lose him and she didn't want to leave him. She loved him desperately, but if he chose to leave her then she couldn't exactly stop him. She'd tried to force things with Liam back when she was younger, but she couldn't mold him into the partner she needed and she couldn't make him stay. Consider that a lesson learned.

When he climbed back into the car, he tossed a bag of trail mix into her lap. "They didn't have much that wasn't potato chips or candy," he told her. "Is that okay?"

She nodded and ripped it open, popping a raisin into her mouth as they merged back onto the interstate. They didn't talk much more after that. She tried to concentrate on the rev of the car engine. Strange things like that always soothed her racing mind.

* * *

"Momma! Friend Damon! I missed you!" Addie came barreling towards them when they opened the front door of Elena's house.

Jeremy and her parents had agreed to meet them there with Addie to save some time since they were already running late. People would start showing up in a couple hours for the party and Elena still needed to shower, pick up the cake, and decorate. She didn't have time to think about what happened last night or earlier this morning. She had an excited toddler in pigtails bouncing up and down, expecting an amazing party.

Damon bent down to pick Addie up into his arms. "Birthday Princess! Are you really three today?"

Addie nodded her head and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Where's my kiss, birthday girl?" Elena asked her with a smile.

Still in Damon's hold, Addie leaned over and planted one on Elena's cheek too.

Elena turned to her parents and brother. "Thank you so much for watching her. I'll hopefully have things ready in a couple of hours if you guys want to come back then." She gave them each a huge hug and was about to usher them out. As much as she wanted to cry in Miranda's arms over everything that happened, she had a million things to do before 3pm and very little time to do them.

"Well what needs to be done?" Jeremy asked.

"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to help," Elena said, shaking her head. "You've already done so much."

"Psh. She's my niece," he said. "Try and stop me."

"Same, sweetheart. We're here to help," Grayson added.

Elena paused so Damon spoke for her.

"The decorations are on the top shelf of the hall closet," he said, bouncing Addie up and down in his arms. "The cake's ready, but we still need to pick it up. We could both really use a shower. The surprise guest will be here at 3:30, but we need to call and confirm that. We were planning on ordering pizza for food since that's her favorite so we need to get that order placed."

"Well I'm a master in the art of hanging streamers," Jeremy said with a smile. "So I got that covered. And if there's one adult thing I know how to do, it's order pizza. Just pass me the credit card, sis."

"And your father and I will take Addie with us to pick up the cake," Miranda said. "You can both shower while we're gone, maybe even have time to call the entertainer."

"Thank you guys," Damon answered. "Seriously. We both appreciate it."

Elena didn't say anything else. She didn't want to be a burden. She didn't want to feel like a failure because she was trying to do too many things at once. She simply smiled, gave everyone another round of appreciative hugs, and then headed straight for the shower.

After a few minutes of solitude under the water, she heard footsteps in the bathroom. She tensed up a little, but then she remembered the two unmarked FBI cars outside her house. No one was getting in without an invitation at this point.

"We need to talk. I know you want to wait, but we need to talk now," Damon said. He pushed the shower curtain open a little and looked inside at her. "I'm coming in."

"Okay," she answered quietly. Now, later, it didn't really change what the outcome would be. All she was doing was stalling, much like Caroline had yesterday morning.

Less than a minute later, Damon was stepping into the shower behind her. His body was starting to show bruises from his fight with Connor. Nothing abnormal or anything. They were just a nasty side effect of his profession. His face didn't look as flawless as normal, but it looked a hell of a lot better than Liam's. That's what happens when you don't know how to protect your face.

She moved over to let him get under the water a little bit and once his hair was wet, he snaked an arm around her waist. They'd had sex in the shower before and a lot of times it started just like this, but this felt different. He wasn't touching her to arouse her. He was literally trying to hold onto her so she couldn't run away from the conversation.

"Did you already wash your hair?" he asked her.

She shook her head no so he reached for the bottle of shampoo and started to lather it through her waves. The way his fingers massaged her scalp made her close her eyes and moan lowly. God, she loved him. More than she'd ever loved any man. Some days, she thought she might love him more than she loved herself.

"Let's start from the beginning," he said, clearing his throat. "No more secrets Elena, remember?"

As he rinsed the suds from her hair for her, her throat burned to find the words. "I ran into Liam after your fight. I was just waiting for Caroline to get done in the bathroom so we could come see you and I guess he saw me on the news and us on the jumbotron because he seemed pretty knowledgeable about the whole thing with Klaus and then you and me. I didn't want to talk to him. I really didn't, but he wouldn't just leave so I tried to keep it to small talk. But then he asked about Addie and about seeing her."

"Over my dead body," Damon growled protectively.

"He's her father," Elena sighed. She reached for her conditioner.

"Since when?"

"Damon, I had to agree to let him see her. That's the only way I got him to not press any charges against you," she whispered.

"You should have just left me in jail," he gritted out crossly, rinsing the soap from his body. He ran a hand through his wet hair. "That would have been better."

"I know you're mad at me, but please don't take it out on Addie. She's gotten used to having you around. That's why I went to see Liam this morning. She'd be devastated if you weren't in her life anymore."

"Damn it, Elena," he cursed. "I'm mad, but I'm not going to just up and leave Addie hanging on her fucking birthday. What kind of man do you take me for?"

She looked down at her feet. "The kind that's had enough of my neurotic behavior?"

He sighed in frustration. "For fuck's sake, I love you. How many times do I have to say it before you really, truly believe it?"

"I guess just maybe one more time?" she said. Her face lifted into a smile because again, Damon was not Liam. He meant what he said and he did what he promised. He said he loved her, he promised he'd protect her. That was that.

"You crazy woman, I love you. Okay? I love you and I love Adaline and I'm going to keep loving both of you for as long as you'll let me," he told her. He kissed her hard, the water from the shower starting to go cold.

When they pulled away, she let out a shiver. "We should get dressed. Lots to do."

"I want to go on record saying that I still don't feel good about Addie seeing Liam," Damon added. "But you're her mother and that's ultimately your decision."

"Noted," she said with a nod of her head.

He reached around her and turned off the water. "Also, you need a new hot water heater."

"They're expensive," she said with a laugh. "I can tolerate my ten minute showers for a little longer." She reached out for her towel and wrapped it around her body.

"Christmas is coming up. Just saying," he said as he secured a towel around his waist.

"Don't you dare, Damon Salvatore," she shot back.

He chuckled and stepped out of the shower. She followed behind him. They moved around each other effortlessly in her bedroom as they each pulled on some jeans. Elena tried to make her hair look halfway decent with a hair dryer and styling gel. Damon simply ran his fingers through his. She settled on a tight purple turtle neck and he went with a grey Henley. Things were feeling semi-normal again, well the closest to their version of normal as they could get.

When Elena opened her bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway, every inch of her kitchen and living room was covered with pink streamers and princess décor. Jeremy did one hell of a job. She walked into the kitchen and went straight for the coffeepot. The nap in the car earlier hadn't really made up for her lack of sleep. She set the pot the brew and Damon grabbed a couple of coffee mugs from the cabinet for them. By now, he'd pretty much figured out where everything in the kitchen was housed.

"Baby Gilbert!" he called out to Jeremy. "You want some coffee?"

Jeremy laughed from the living room as he hung a tiara shaped piñata from the ceiling. "It's past noon."

Elena raised one eyebrow at him. "And?"

"I'm good, sis," he replied. "Pizza is ordered, by the way. A few plain cheese, but mostly pepperoni. Should be here right at 3."

"Thank you," she said as she poured herself a cup of hot coffee. "You're a good uncle."

Jeremy winked. "I'm aware."

The doorbell rang and Damon put his hand on Elena's to stop her from rushing to answer it. "I got it," he said. "You drink your coffee."

Minutes later, he came into the kitchen carrying Addie's cake. Addie was trailing just a few steps behind him. Grayson clutched a handful of helium filled balloons in his hand.

"Balloons?" Elena asked.

"Birthday girl wanted balloons so her grandparents got her balloons," Miranda shrugged.

Elena laughed. "Birthday girl is spoiled rotten."

"Am not!" Addie exclaimed, her little hands planted on her hips as she looked up at her mother.

"Are too!" she argued back, sticking out her tongue in a childish manner.

Damon poured his own cup of coffee and then grabbed his phone out of his back pocket. "I'm going to call and double check on our surprise guest," he announced. He kissed Elena lovingly on the cheek and then stepped out of Addie's earshot so as not to ruin the suspense.

"Want to help me look outside in the backyard for a good stick to hit the piñata with?" Grayson asked Addie, to which she enthusiastically nodded. "Alright, let's put your mittens back on."

When it was just Elena and Miranda left alone in the kitchen, Elena let her face fall for just a brief second. It wouldn't have been noticeable to most people, but the woman that raised her could clearly see that something wasn't right.

"Coffee, mom?" Elena asked, reaching to get a clean mug down from the cabinet.

"Sure," Miranda said. Then she turned her motherly gaze onto Elena and lowered her voice so that Jeremy couldn't hear them from the next room over. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

Elena shrugged as she poured her stepmother a cup of coffee. "Nothing," she lied. "Still just worried about the Klaus thing and it's just a stressful day so far. We didn't hit the road as early as I wanted this morning so I feel like I'm playing catch up."

"That isn't it," Miranda said with a shake of her head.

Elena took a sip from her own mug. "That's all."

"No, it isn't. Elena, you have a bad habit of carrying everything on your shoulders. Unburden yourself for a minute. That's what parents are for," Miranda pressed.

"Liam lives in Charlotte now," she said with an exhausted sigh. "And I have to let him see Addie."

"You don't have to do anything that isn't best for Addie," Miranda shot back. "I know she's half his technically, but he lost that right a long time ago."

"I know, but it's more complicated than that. Damon hit him. He was just trying to protect me," she admitted. "It was bad. If I didn't agree to at least a visitation after Christmas, Damon would've been facing charges."

"And you're okay with letting him see her?" Miranda asked.

"I'll be there the whole time. I'm not letting her out of my sight. It'll be on my terms, but I think it'll be good for her. It's only a matter of time before she starts asking questions about him and I don't want her to resent me for keeping her from him."

Miranda nodded. "She's your baby. You know what's best for her."

Addie came skipping back inside, one hand holding a long stick and the other hand dragging her grandfather behind her. "We found a stick!" she yelled out.

Elena grabbed it from her before she poked her eye out with it. "So I see."

A little while later, guests started to show up at her front door. Caroline and Stefan arrived first, linked hand in hand with a huge box wrapped in pink wrapping paper and a bow on top. Matt and Tyler's presents were wrapped less impressively. Matt had managed to tape some newspaper around his. Tyler opted for a bag. Bonnie, never one to disappoint, left her present in the backyard because it was apparently too big to wrap. She brought Enzo along with her.

A few of Elena's neighbors came by with their kids. Addie didn't spend a lot of time around other children and that was mostly Elena's fault. She didn't put her in daycare and she didn't have any close friends that had kids of their own. Well, at least not yet. But she did live in a family neighborhood and her neighbors had always been more than polite to her so she invited a couple of them over so there would be other kids there for Addie to play with.

Addie made quick friends with a four year old boy named Isaac. They shared pepperoni pizza together and she told him all about her doll house that her uncles built her while he told her about the tree house he was working on with his dad.

Elena watched them interact, their childish innocence a thing of wonder.

"It's so cool! When we're done, maybe you can come play in it?" Isaac said of his tree house. "Dad says we'll finish it by Christmas!"

"Can I bring my dolls with me?" Addie asked him after pondering for a moment.

Isaac thought about it then shrugged. "I guess so. They can hang out with my Transformers."

"Yay!" Addie cheered and then looked over to Elena. "I just have to ask my momma."

"Which one is your dad?" Isaac asked her.

"I don't have one."

"Everyone has a dad!" Isaac said. "Who helps your mom fix stuff around the house?"

"Well, my Uncle Jeremy, Uncle Tyler, Uncle Matt, and Friend Damon," Addie listed out, counting them on her pizza greased fingers.

Thank God Isaac's mother interjected, because Elena was about to do the same.

"Isaac, sweetheart, remember there are all different kinds of families," she told her son. "Addie has a lot of adults that love her, just like you. That's what matters."

"Okay," Isaac shrugged and then went back to his pizza.

Elena let out a breath she didn't know she was even holding. When the doorbell rang again, she put on a smile and went to answer it. It was Addie's surprise.

"Addie!" she called out with a smile. "Someone stopped by to tell you Happy Birthday!"

An Elsa look-alike walked into the house, in character and full costume.

"Sorry about the cold weather!" Elsa said as she came in. "Tends to follow me where I go."

All of the little girls screamed and ran over to her immediately. Addie was stuck behind a couple taller girls and she tried to push her way through.

"Now, which one of you is the birthday girl?" Elsa asked, bending down slightly.

Addie's hand shot up. "Me!"

"Addie!" Elsa exclaimed. "Will you help me sing a song?" She extended a hand towards Addie and pulled her close.

Addie nodded. Elsa switched on a Bluetooth speaker from her bag and set it down on the coffee table. When the opening notes to Let It Go started to play, Addie started swaying back and forth. She looked up at Elsa in astonishment, like she couldn't believe this was actually happening. Elsa started singing the lyrics, to which Addie and every little girl knew all of.

"This was a great idea, huh?" Damon said from behind her, his breath a tickle on Elena's ear. "She's so happy."

Elena reached back to grab his hand. "Did you mean what you said?" she whispered over her shoulder.

"About what?"

"Loving both of us forever?"

He chuckled lowly. "Well I didn't say forever, but if that's how long you're willing to let me stay around then yeah."

She was about to ask him something that she couldn't believe she was asking, something that she didn't ever really plan on asking anyone. But things rarely go according to plan. They move quicker than you can handle and sometimes all you can do is take a leap of faith. "Move in with us?"

She couldn't see his face, her eyes still looking at the way Addie lit up when Elsa twirled her around, but she could almost hear the genuine smile in his voice when he answered her.

"Nothing would make me happier."

* * *

Elena threw the last piece of mostly-eaten birthday cake into a large trash that she was holding. Addie had thoroughly enjoyed the party, excitedly ripping into all of her birthday presents. Matt did manage to find a Susie Sings-a-lot for her, which thrilled her to no end. Caroline and Stefan got her some Barbie accessories, including a new bright pink convertible for her dolls to ride in. Tyler went with a purple-colored fake tool set so that Addie could feel like she was helping fix things around the house. Jeremy got her a ton of coloring supplies. Her grandparents bought what had to have been about twenty new bedtime story books and some building blocks. Bonnie showed everyone up by getting her a bike with training wheels and bell attached to the handle. Damon and Elena surprised her with front row tickets to a Disney on Ice show.

All in all, it'd been a good birthday. Her neighbors and their kids had gone home by now. Jeremy had to leave after they cut the cake to go write a term paper. She shooed her parents out about five minutes ago. And Addie was in her room playing with all of her new toys.

That pretty much just left her rowdy bunch of friends there to help her pull down all the streamers and whatnot.

"Don't get me wrong, Elena," Bonnie said as she picked up a piece of candy from the floor. A lot of what was in the piñata had scattered under the furniture. "I love Addie, but kids are so fucking messy. I have no idea how you do it."

Caroline awkwardly looked at Stefan and then whispered something to him. He gave her a nod and then she took him by the hand. "Hey, everyone. You're going to want to stop throwing away garbage for a minute to hear this."

Matt, Tyler, Bonnie, Enzo, Damon, and Elena all stopped what they were doing to look at the two of them. Elena could tell Caroline was really nervous. She was only a few weeks into her pregnancy and technically she was supposed to wait until the second trimester to say anything, but this was her family and she wouldn't be able to hide the morning sickness and mood swings from them for long.

"Stefan and I got engaged yesterday," she started.

"Are you fucking serious?" Tyler balked, his eyes going wide. "You've been dating for like two days."

Caroline ignored him, rolling her eyes at his very expected outburst. "And, we are also having a baby."

The room went really silent. Caroline just kind of looked around at everyone waiting for some kind of reaction. Stefan stood by her side and looked at her with such adoration.

Finally, Bonnie let out an excited squeal. Bonnie Bennett rarely squealed. "A baby? Oh my gosh! I'm going to be an aunt again!" Then she turned to Enzo and pointed a finger. "Don't you get any ideas," she jokingly scolded.

He let out a laugh. "No bloody way," he said to her, but then he walked forward and extended a hand out to Stefan. "Congratulations, lad. That's great news."

"The more the merrier," Matt said with a smile. He stepped up to give Caroline a hug and then gave Stefan a pat on the back.

"Well Blondie, I guess if I'm going to have a niece or nephew, there are much worse choices for moms out there," Damon teased with a smirk. "Good luck strapping a car seat in that Porsche."

His joke earned a round of laughter from everyone except for Tyler, who grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter and walked out without another word. It wasn't surprising that he'd have a hard time accepting it, given his history with Caroline.

"He'll come around," Elena told a disappointed Caroline. "He just needs a little time."

"Yeah," Caroline nodded. "I just wanted him to be happy for me, you know?"

"I know, Care." Elena pulled her into a hug. "He will be, eventually."

Bonnie accosted Caroline quickly with talk of birthing classes, baby names, and where to register for what. They'd been through this before with Elena and she loved the planning part of it back then. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Enzo and I saw a mom at the grocery store yesterday with this stroller that folds into a car seat. I'll see if I can look up the name of it."

With so much to celebrate tonight, the group of them talked and relaxed in Elena's living room well into the night. She pulled some leftover beers out of the back of her fridge for Bonnie and the guys. They played cards until one in the morning.

Once the last of them left, Elena leaned against her closed front door and let out a yawn. She was ready to pass out face first in her bed after the day she'd had.

Damon was clearing the last of the beer bottles from the kitchen table when she walked in. "You sure you're ready to have all my junk in here?" he asked with a smirk.

She nodded sleepily, but then cocked an eyebrow at him. "Wait, what kind of junk?"

"Oh you know, Star Wars memorabilia, old guitars that I don't know how to really play, light up beer signs. Standard bachelor pad junk." He walked up behind her then started to massage her shoulders.

It felt too good. Her eyelids fluttered shut. She was literally going to fall asleep standing up in the middle of her kitchen if he kept at that. "I suppose we'll have to find room for all of your junk," she said through a yawn.

He laughed and led her to the bedroom, her eyes still pretty much half-closed the entire time. When she started to protest the fact that he undressed her and pulled one of his tshirts over her head for her to sleep in, he placed a finger over her slips to silence her. "You're exhausted. Get some rest, Elena."

"I need to check on Addie," she objected, already halfway in the bed.

"I got it covered," he told her. "Sweet dreams."

"Thank you," she replied as she nuzzled her head into the cool pillow and promptly fell asleep. Nightmares and crazy baby daddy drama be damned. Nothing was keeping her awake right now.

Damon kissed her gently on the forehead and then quietly slipped into the hallway. He tiptoed down the hallway towards Addie's bedroom and poked his head inside. It was dark, save for the small amount of light coming from her nightlight next to her bed. She'd passed out in her bed but on top of the covers, the majority of her new toys strewn out all across the carpeted floor. He laughed and shook his head. Birthdays as a kid were the fucking best.

He moved inside to adjust the blanket over her. In the middle of winter, she needed to stay bundled up. She stirred a little, opening one eye halfway.

"Friend Damon, can Susie please sleep with me? She's scared of the monsters," she said drowsily.

"Of course," he nodded. He reached down to pick the doll up and placed it in her arms. "Keep her safe, okay?"

"I will. I know how to scare them away," she said with a nod before falling back asleep.

With the house quiet and his two girls slumbering, Damon took a minute to appreciate it all. An initial infatuation with the hot and feisty mechanic who took the dent out of his car had completely changed his life. He was in deep now and even if sometimes he felt like he was in over his head, he wouldn't change that. It was a big step for Elena to ask him to move in. Sure, he was staying there most nights anyways, but he was always a guest.

This was them combining their lives. This was her completely letting him in and he knew it had to be fucking terrifying for her, but she still did it because she wanted him around. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't terrified about it too. He felt like he had a place in Elena and Addie's life now, but he was still trying to figure out what exactly that place was.

It stung when Elena referred to Liam as Addie's father earlier. Not that he wasn't technically. They shared the same DNA and the same eyes. But if Addie was going to get to know her dad, where did that leave Damon? It was all so complicated, an interwoven cluster-fuck of a family dynamic that he had absolutely no experience with.

Stefan and Caroline had it so easy and they didn't even know it. Maybe he should just go ahead and ask Elena to marry him, but they hadn't even really talked about that. She hadn't even hinted if that was something she was interested in. She'd probably freak out if he did ask considering they'd just gotten to a point where living together was on the table. In the end, all Damon really wanted to do was just be there for Elena and Addie, but he didn't really know what the boundaries were.

He grabbed the last of the beers from the fridge and plopped himself down on the couch, turning ESPN on the TV and the volume so low that he could barely hear it. He should've been in there holding Elena and snoring into her ear, but he just couldn't put the Liam situation out of his mind. The whole idea of co-parenting with Liam or whatever new age hippie bullshit the mommy blogs were preaching about now seemed so impossible. He'd broken the guy's nose and sent him to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. No real way to come back from that.

"Friend Damon?" Addie's voice sliced through the silence.

He looked over to see her pint-sized figure standing in the doorway still clutching her doll. He set his half-empty beer down on the end table next to the couch, careful to use a coaster so that he wouldn't catch the wrath of Elena for it tomorrow morning. "Yes, Princess?"

"Can I come sit with you?"

"It's really late," he began, but then he gave in. "Just for a few minutes, okay? Then you've got to go back to sleep."

She shuffled forward, the bottoms of her pajama pants grazing along the floor as she walked, and then climbed onto the couch beside of him. She set her doll upright on the other side of her. "What are we watching?"

"Nothing, really. Just a bunch of guys talking about football," he answered softly.

"Uncle Matt and Uncle Tyler played football," Addie told him. "Momma says they were pretty good."

Damon nodded his head. "I bet they were," he agreed sincerely.

The two of them sat there together looking at the TV for a little while before Addie spoke up again.

"Friend Damon?"

"Hm?"

"Isaac says everyone has a dad. Do I have a dad?"

Damon hesitated. "I think that's a conversation you have to have with your mom, kiddo."

"Are you my dad?"

"Um," he stuttered a little and wondered if he should just go wake up Elena for this. He decided to let her sleep. She could talk to Addie about all of it tomorrow. "Um, no Princess. I'm not your dad."

Addie pouted a little. She grabbed her doll and cradled it in her arms. "Well I wish you were."

He really wanted to tell her that he wished he was too, but that would have definitely been overstepping some boundaries. Instead, he kissed her on top of her head and changed the subject. "That's enough questions and TV for tonight. We both need to get some sleep."

She didn't argue with him as he switched off the TV, picked her up, and carried her back to her bedroom. He tucked her back underneath the covers, handed her doll to her, and wished her sweet dreams.

* * *

 **A/N: Things are in a good place, but we still have a lot of loose ends to tie up!**

 **To recap: Klaus & Elijah are still out there, Liam is in the picture now (hopefully not for long TBH because he sucks), we're nearing in on the holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas), and Damon still has a championship fight to win (or lose, who knows?). We're not done yet!**


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: You guys would not believe how crazy life has been recently. Busy at work, sick dog, then I got sick, then I finally took a vacation with my best friend. And now I'm finally posting this super long chapter. I mean seriously, they just keep getting longer and longer.**

 **BIG HUGE thanks to winterbabyalways for working her magic on this chapter. It was riddled with typos before she got her hands on it.**

* * *

Elena precariously balanced a couple of casserole dishes in one arm as she used the other to knock on the front door of her childhood home. The leaves from the trees out front had long turned brown, many of them collecting onto the grass beneath them. Jeremy clearly hadn't gotten around to raking them yet, despite being home for Thanksgiving break.

Miranda's smiling face opened the front door and she relieved Elena of at least one of the dishes of food immediately. "Grayson! Jeremy! They're here!" Miranda called out into the large house.

Damon followed Elena inside, his hand clasped with Addie's. Since her birthday party, the two of them had been nearly inseparable. It was all Elena could do to get a little alone time with her boyfriend, who was more than happy to be reading bedtime stories and watching cartoons on Saturday mornings with her daughter. Not that she was complaining. Watching the two of them interact with each other warmed her heart.

"Addie! C'mere, squirt!" Jeremy called, kneeling down and holding out his arms to her.

She gave one last look to Damon, who nudged her forward gently. Addie took off into Jeremy's arms. He picked her up, spun her around quickly, and nuzzled his fist on top of her head, effectively messing up the pigtails that Elena had worked so hard on.

"I had to chase her for half an hour to do those," Elena chastised her little brother. "And you managed to ruin them in 30 seconds."

"Happy Thanksgiving, sis," Jeremy smiled. He walked over still holding Addie and gave Elena a kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to Damon and held out his hand to shake. "Happy Thanksgiving, man."

Damon accepted the handshake. He was dressed in nice dark jeans and a black sweater, probably the only nice sweater that he owned. He didn't really care for the feel of wool against his skin, but when he saw Elena and Addie in their dresses, he knew he couldn't get away with his standard t-shirt or Henley. With Addie now in Jeremy's arms and his hands free, he took the other casserole dish from Elena's arm and went into the kitchen to set it on the dark granite countertop.

"Wine?" Grayson asked him as he poured a glass for himself. He sat on a barstool with an apron tied on. "I figure if I'm on turkey babysitting duty, I might as well drink a little."

"Oh, no thanks. I'm driving," Damon declined.

"Grandpa!" Addie's little shoes clacked against the kitchen floor as she scurried inside. "I made you something!"

Grayson turned towards her. "What did you make me?"

Addie held up the pieces of glued together construction paper with glitter on top, a project that she'd worked on at the kitchen table with Damon and Elena last night. "It's a turkey! I made it with my hand and then I made him pretty!"

Miranda walked into the kitchen as Addie was holding it up. "Oh, how beautiful! It's going right on the front of the fridge!" She reached for it and then stuck it in a spot with a magnet on the refrigerator, between the massive amounts of baby pictures and other Addie Gilbert originals.

Grayson peeked into the oven to check on the turkey. "Hm, maybe about another half an hour?" he guessed. "Then it should be perfect."

"Wine?" Miranda offered them both, pouring herself a glass from the bottle Grayson had been nursing.

Damon started to politely decline again, but Elena butted in. "I'll drive us home if you want to have a couple glasses, Damon."

"What about me?" Jeremy pouted.

"You're 19," Miranda countered.

"So?"

"So, you're not old enough," Elena said with a roll of her eyes.

Grayson poured a glass of wine and set it in front of Damon. "You heard the woman," he joked.

"If you don't want it, I'll take it," Jeremy quietly whispered to him, but apparently not quiet enough.

"You will not," Miranda said, giving him that look that only a mother could.

Addie drug Miranda and Elena into her room full of toys, anxious to play with her dollhouse. They happily went along with her and Grayson told them he'd come get them whenever the turkey was finally sliced and ready to be served.

With the women gone, Grayson grabbed another wine glass from the kitchen cabinet and filled it halfway. He slid it along the counter towards Jeremy and gave him a wink. "Don't tell your mother."

Jeremy chuckled and picked up the wine, giving it a swirl before he drank it. It was clearly not his first taste of Merlot.

Grayson settled back down on the bar stool and took a sip from his own glass. Damon leaned back against the counter, his wine glass resting in his hand.

"So how'd you get stuck with turkey duty?" he asked Grayson.

"I volunteered. Gives me something to do other than pace around all day," he replied nonchalantly.

The three of them stood there in silence for a few minutes sipping from their glasses. This was a little awkward and Damon realized he'd never really been left alone with any of Elena's friends or family without her there to serve as a buffer. If he hoped to become a permanent part of her life, he'd better go ahead and get over that awkwardness. Just as he was about to bring up some neutral topic like football, Jeremy spoke up.

"So Damon, what are your intentions with my sister?" he asked directly.

"Oh, spare him the overprotective brother act, Jeremy," Grayson interjected with a laugh. "I think we're past that, aren't we?"

Damon kind of froze, clearly caught off guard. He was trying to formulate an answer, but he was so taken aback by the question that it was taking him awhile. Instead of toeing the line, he thought maybe he should just answer it honestly.

"No, um, it's alright," Damon said. He took a long drink from his wine glass and then calmly and boldly spoke. "I'd like to marry her eventually so I'm hoping those are the kind of intentions you were expecting."

"Is this your way of asking for my permission?" Grayson asked, far too composed for the conversation they were now having. Damon had put marriage on the table and Elena didn't even know it yet.

"More like your blessing," he answered. "We both know Elena doesn't need anyone's permission to do anything," he added with a laugh.

Grayson thought about it for a few minutes, but he didn't say anything. He got up to check on the turkey and then pulled it out of the oven with some potholders. He set the large dish on top of the stove. "Best to let it rest before we slice it."

"So Dad?" Jeremy questioned jokingly. "What's the dowry for her?"

"Do me a favor and put that wine glass away before your mother comes in here," Grayson directed to Jeremy. "She'll serve my head on a silver platter next to this turkey if she finds out I snuck you some."

With a roll of his eyes, Jeremy down the rest of his Merlot and then rinsed his glass before putting it into the dishwasher. Grayson then asked him to go set the table in the dining room and again with a roll of his eyes, Jeremy grabbed the plates and silverware.

Grayson set about carving up the turkey. He held the knife up and looked over to Damon. "I know you're a big shot fighter and all that, but just know that if you hurt my daughter, I'm fully prepared to go to jail after I settle the score. She and Addie have been abandoned once. I'm not about to stand by and watch that happen again."

Damon's eyes went wide. "Yes sir," he nodded out of respect. He couldn't believe he was actually having this conversation. If you'd ask him a few months ago if marriage was ever in the cards for him, he would have laughed and then took another shot of whiskey. And then if you were a woman, he would have tried to make out with you. Now, it was something that he desperately wanted with Elena someday. And with Addie. He wanted to be a real family.

"Just so we're clear," Grayson continued. He turned his attention back to the turkey and resumed his carving. "I like you. I think you're good for Elena and for Addie, but if you're in this for the long haul, then you're in it. Not really any going back."

"I'm not saying I want to propose tomorrow," Damon started to reply, but Grayson cut him off.

"Tomorrow, next year, whenever. You've got my blessing to do it. Just don't tell her I tried to threaten you with a carving knife," Grayson said with a chuckle.

"Yes sir," Damon replied.

Grayson nodded his head. He didn't say anything else about marriage to Damon, just asked him to go get the ladies from Addie's playroom.

When Damon rounded the corner, the three of them were all sitting on the floor in front of the dollhouse. Addie was talking to Miranda and Elena excitedly about the beach vacation Barbie was about to go on.

"Isn't it too cold?" Miranda asked.

"Not at the beach! It's always hot there!" Addie replied. "We gotta find her swimsuit."

She got up to start digging through the box of Barbie clothes when Damon cleared his throat. They all looked up at him. Trying to put his conversation with Grayson and Jeremy out of his mind for a little bit, he smiled and told them that the food was pretty much ready to eat.

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm starving. Aren't you, Addie?" Elena said, standing up from the floor. She offered Miranda a hand to pull her up.

"But I want to play with my Barbies!" Addie protested. She stuck her bottom lip out and crossed her arms.

"I made the sweet potatoes that you love," Miranda said in an attempt to bribe her.

"With the marshmallows?" Addie's eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face.

Miranda nodded and held out a hand to Addie, who gladly accepted it. The two of them headed towards the dining room together.

Elena started to trail behind them, but Damon caught hold of her wrist as she walked past him. When he was sure that Addie and Miranda were safely out of earshot and eyesight, he pressed Elena up against the door frame and kissed her like he had a million times before. And even still, each time he got tingles. When he finally pulled away, she was smiling and blushing, her brown waves falling slightly into her face.

"What was that for?" she asked him.

"Because I didn't get a chance earlier to tell you how beautiful you look," he said with a shrug. "And more selfishly, because I needed it."

She placed her hands on his chest and lightly pushed him away. "C'mon, Romeo. I want to get in there before Jeremy eats all the mac and cheese."

As he followed her into the dining room, he tried not to stare too hard at the way her hips swayed back and forth. The dress she was wearing wasn't obscene by any means, but the way she wore it made it sexier than any lingerie. To be fair though, he'd yet to see her in lingerie so maybe he was making assumptions too soon.

Elena pulled out an empty chair next to Addie at the dining room table and sat down. Damon sat to her right and Miranda sat across from them with Jeremy and Grayson. Grayson had already cut up a little turkey on Addie's plate for her and piled it high with mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and cornbread.

"She'll never finish all that," Elena said with a laugh, motioning to the plate.

"She said she's going to try," Grayson replied and then gave Addie a pat on the head.

"So before we all dig in, you know we've got to go around and say what we're thankful for," Miranda said, clasping her hands together. "Who wants to start?"

Addie's hand shot up in the air. "Me!"

Miranda nodded towards her. "Go ahead, sweetheart."

"I'm thankful for Momma and my Susie Sings-a-lot and all my other toys and all my aunts and uncles and Grandma and Grandpa," Addie said with a smile, leaning back in her seat. "Oh! And Friend Damon! I'm thankful for him too!"

Damon let out a chuckle. "Back at you, kiddo," he whispered across the table.

The rest of them took turns going around the table to say what they were thankful for. When it got to Elena, she peered over to Addie lovingly.

"Well obviously, I'm thankful for everyone at this table," she began. "And I'm thankful for being able to do what I love for a living and for doing it with my closest friends. I think the thing I'm most thankful for is that I'm not alone, no matter what. I'm surrounded by so much love constantly and I'm really thankful for that."

Elena nodded her head, smiling and trying to hide a few happy tears that were trying to escape. "Can we eat now?"

They all started to eat and Addie made her best effort to finish all that food on her plate, but it was just too much for her small stomach. Elena watched as she sat back defeated, holding onto her stomach with one hand.

"I'm full, Momma," Addie admitted.

Elena laughed as she took a sip of water. "I figured you would be. Any room for some pumpkin pie?"

"In my dessert stomach!" Addie said.

"Always room in the dessert stomach," Damon added with a grin.

Elena helped Miranda clear the plates while the rest of them headed into the living room to drink a little coffee. She scrubbed the dishes in the sink and loaded the dishwasher. Miranda started to slice her homemade pumpkin pie, a favorite of both Elena and Jeremy.

"Homemade whipped cream too?" Elena asked, though she knew the answer.

"Obviously," Miranda replied, grabbing the bowl of light and fluffy whipped cream from the refrigerator.

With her hands covered in dish soap, Elena couldn't do much. She really wanted to just eat the whipped cream directly from the bowl though. Obviously her daughter had inherited her sweet tooth, try as she might to keep it under control. She took a plate out of the sink and rinsed it before loading it into the dishwasher.

"Heard anything from Liam?" Miranda asked quietly. At Elena's request, she hadn't shared any of that information with Grayson. Because Liam had worked for Grayson when he and Elena were dating, he had an even less favorable opinion of him now than everyone else did.

"I reached out to him after Addie's birthday party. Apparently she asked Damon about her dad so I thought it might be good for both of them to meet each other at this point," Elena said a sigh. She hated Liam, absolutely hated everything about him other than the fact that he'd blessed her with Addie. That didn't mean she should keep Addie from him because of her own issues, especially if Addie wanted to see him. "I haven't talked to Addie about it yet though, but I'm planning a trip down there in early January."

"Is Damon coming?" Miranda asked. "I think I'd feel a lot better if he did."

"Damon and Liam didn't exactly part on good terms," Elena said, a vast understatement. "I need this to go smoothly so it'll just be me and Addie."

Miranda looked uneasy as she nodded her head. "If that's what you think is best."

"Are you guys eating all the pie without me?" Jeremy interrupted, leaning into the kitchen through the doorway. "Okay, why do you guys look so upset?"

Elena planted her smile back on. "Because Mom only made one pie!" she exclaimed, drying her hands on a towel. "Can you believe that?"

"There's one in the fridge for you to take home," Miranda said, her own manufactured smile taking its place. "And another one for you for later, Jeremy."

"Mom, you're the best," Jeremy beamed.

* * *

With a sleeping Addie strapped into her car seat in the backseat of the CR-V, Elena drove back to the house. Damon was quiet as he stroked her thigh lovingly.

"Are you upset that I don't want you to come back to Charlotte with us in January?" she asked him.

"Well, I'm not happy about it," he said with a deep breath. "But I get it. It's family stuff."

"Damon, you are family," she told him, taking a glance over towards him. He seemed off somehow, not his usual jovial self.

"You know what I mean," he said, waving his hand in the air flippantly.

She shook her head, turning onto their street. "I don't."

"Elena, I don't want to argue right now. Let's get the food inside and get Addie into bed, okay?" he said as they pulled into the driveway.

She cut the engine off and they both swung their car doors open. Elena unhooked Addie from her car seat while Damon grabbed the leftovers that Miranda had sent them home with. An entire pumpkin pie was balanced carefully on top of the Tupperware containers. Damon hadn't had homemade pie since he was a kid and he'd have to run it off later, but he ate two slices after dinner.

Elena handed him her car keys and he jammed the house key into the door, giving a small wave to the FBI agents who were stationed outside of the house. Whoever got stuck working on Thanksgiving night, he felt sorry for them.

"I'm thinking we should share the pie with them," he told Elena as he nodded to the car.

"That would be in the holiday spirit," she whispered back as she stepped inside holding Addie in her arms. "I'll take them some on my way out. Are you sure you're okay to watch Addie while we go shopping?"

Damon started to load the leftovers into the fridge in the kitchen, trying to find places to put it all among their usual groceries. Since he'd moved in, the fridge had become even more jam-packed. Not only was Elena cooking for her and Addie, but he had separate groceries for his training diet. "She's already passed out. I'm just here to make sure the house doesn't burn down," he responded.

Elena nodded and started to walk towards Addie's bedroom. She'd made plans to go Black Friday shopping tonight with Bonnie and Caroline. It was one of their traditions and normally she'd let Addie stay the night with her grandparents. This year, Damon offered. It only made sense since he was all moved in now.

With Addie changed into her pajamas and tucked in safely, Elena made her way back out into the living room. Damon had taken the time to change into a t-shirt and some sweatpants. She suspected that he'd been wanting to get out of that sweater since the moment he first put it on. He smirked at her from the couch and then held his arms out in her direction.

Without an ounce of hesitation, she climbed onto the couch next to him and planted a kiss on his lips as his arms closed around her. She sighed in contentment. Being with Damon was great, though she could still feel the strain that Klaus and Liam were both having on the relationship.

"To answer your question from earlier, I meant that I'm not Addie's parent so I don't really have a place in that whole equation," he told her as she curled herself into him and rested her cheek on his chest.

She nuzzled her cheek against the soft fabric of his well-worn shirt as she nodded. "Yeah, I know this whole Liam thing is hard for you."

"I love both of you so much. I just feel really protective," he explained. "And I know me being there won't help anything, especially because of what happened, but it's going to be really hard to watch you two drive away knowing that you're going to see him."

"What if I take Jeremy with us?" Elena offered. "I think he'll still be on winter break from school."

"That won't quite help me sleep at night, but it's a start," he told her. He shifted to rest his chin on her head. "How much longer until Bonnie and Caroline get here?"

Elena glanced up to the large clock on the wall above the fireplace. "A little over an hour."

Damon smirked. "That's enough time."

"Enough time for what?" she questioned curiously.

Without another word, he hooked one arm under her knees and scooped her up into his arms. Then he stood and she yelped in surprise, her hand flying down to try to hold her dress from exposing her backside. Not that anyone was around to see it, but it was merely instinct.

"Shh," he said through a smile. "You'll wake up the princess."

He carried her effortlessly through the kitchen and back to their bedroom, kicking the door closed with his foot on the way in. When he dropped her onto the bed, he moved to go lock it. Couldn't chance any little ones walking in with what he had planned.

As he took steps back towards the bed, he grabbed at his shirt and pulled it over his head. Next went his pants, along with his boxer briefs. He wasn't wasting any time at all. He rested one knee on the bed and looked at her with lustful eyes.

Elena licked her lips as she looked at him. It took only a minute for her to come to the conclusion that he should never be allowed to wear clothes. It was a crime to women everywhere that he had to cover up his body. But then she thought about it again and decided it was probably for the best that other women didn't get to see what she was seeing right now. She'd have to beat them off with a bat.

"You've still got clothes on," he said in a husky voice.

She giggled and started to remove her dress. Once she pulled it off, she shed herself of her bra and thong pretty quickly. With the way he was looking at her, she could tell that he wasn't going to be gentle with her tonight and she was looking forward to him digging his fingers into her hipbones.

Damon put his other knee on the bed and crawled his way up her body until he was kissing her with everything he had. She grabbed at the back of his neck to pull him even closer and their tongues tangled together. His hard chest pressed against her breasts and they were both panting when they pulled away.

"How did I get so lucky?" he asked.

"I just want you for your body," she jested with a wink.

He pressed his erection against where it rested on her hip and ground into her a little. "Well, you can have it. You can have anything you want."

Elena pushed at his chest until he rolled over onto his back. She straddled on top of him before leaning down to give him another kiss, this time rocking her hips back and forth over his length as she did so.

"Fuck," he groaned. "You're going to make me come and I'm not even inside you yet."

"We can change that," she replied as she guided him into her with her hand. She sank down onto him, giving herself a second to adjust to how deep he was hitting. Whenever she was on top, he always seemed to hit her in that one spot without fail.

When she was ready, she lifted her hips a little and rocked back down. She put her hands on his chest for leverage, digging her nails into his skin a little as she lifted up again.

Damon's hands gripped her hips tightly. "You look so sexy riding me like that," he grunted. "Oh fuck, Elena. Baby, I won't last long like this."

Elena moaned as she moved on top of him, feeling every bit like the sex goddess that he told her she was. He let her continue on for a few more minutes before it seemed like he couldn't take letting her be in control anymore. He steadied the rhythmic motions of her hips and lifted her off of him.

"Hey, I wasn't done yet," she pouted. "Let me finish riding you."

Before she could protest too much more, he had her on her back with her ankles on his shoulders and he slid back into her roughly. She reached out to touch him, but he took her wrists into one of his hands and pinned them at her chest.

"My turn," he smirked, as he moved in and out of her. "I want to make you come so hard that you'll still be thinking about it tomorrow."

"Damon," she gasped at the feeling of him entering her so deeply. Her being on top was nothing compared to this. He pounded into her and each time he hit her G-spot. She started to feel an orgasm building, her muscles tightening as her face started to feel flush. "I'm almost there. Don't stop."

"That's it, baby. Let go. Give it to me," he said. Continuing to move his hips, he reached down between her legs with his other hand and rubbed circles around her clit.

She came, biting at her lip to keep from screaming his name the way she had in that hotel room in Charlotte. Instead, she let out tiny little whimpers while she detonated around him. And within a few seconds, he was following her.

He pulled out of her, sated and spent, and then brought her into his arms. He laid back on the bed and she rest her head on his chest as they both tried to let their breathing get back to normal.

He gingerly picked up one of her hands and examined the wrist. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Are you kidding?" She giggled. "I loved it. Do that more often."

"Deal." He smiled, feeling pretty gratified.

"I should clean up before they get here," she told him after a few minutes. "I smell like sex."

"You smell like me." He tugged her closer.

She tried to get up, but he wouldn't let go of her. "You can shower with me if you behave yourself," she offered.

"Yes to the shower. No to the behaving part." He let her go and she rolled off of the bed.

Elena pointed an accusing finger at him as she walked into the bathroom. "You better behave."

When he heard the water turn on, he let himself into the bathroom and slid into the shower with her. But of course he didn't behave.

* * *

Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena all stood outside in line outside of Best Buy, the three of them shivering while they waited for the employees to open the doors.

"Did we really have to be here two hours early?" Bonnie shot daggers at Caroline as her teeth chattered.

"Yes," Caroline hissed out, bundling her coat around herself. "They only have ten of the PS4 bundles at that price and Stefan really wants one."

Elena bounced up and down in an effort to keep warm, but it was pretty much pointless. At this point, she could barely feel her own fingers. "I would do unspeakable things for a space heater right now," she groaned.

Bonnie smirked and snickered. "Not sure Damon would be happy that you're offering up sexual favors for warmth."

"I brought hot chocolate. Figured you ladies might be freezing out here," Enzo said as he walked up to the three of them in line. He was carrying a tray with three large Starbucks cups in one hand and twirling his car keys around the index finger on his other hand.

"Hey, no cutting in line!" a middle-aged woman yelled from behind them.

"Oh, pipe it down," Enzo called out to her. "I'm not staying! Just dropping off supplies." He turned back towards them and smiled down at Bonnie. When he handed her a cup, she smiled back up at him and took a tentative sip.

Elena and Caroline greedily reached for their cups from the tray and let the warm chocolatey goodness work its magic.

"You're quickly passing Damon on the best friend's boyfriend scale," Caroline told him as her hands wrapped themselves around the cup.

"He's on babysitting duty. It's not his fault he couldn't make a Starbucks run," Elena defended him. "Besides, if he were here, I wouldn't be able to give blowjobs for warmth."

Enzo gave a wink in Bonnie's direction. "Want to come sit in my warm car with me for a few minutes?"

"Tempting," Bonnie mused. "But I think the soccer mom back there would be pissed if I left and then came back."

"Is he staying?" the same woman from earlier yelled. "Because he can't just show up and jump in line."

Caroline whipped her head around. "Look lady," she snapped. "He isn't staying and even if he was, we've been in line longer than you so get over it."

Elena covered her mouth and giggled. Caroline's pregnancy hormones were already kicking into gear and she was still early in her first trimester.

"What?" Caroline turned back around and looked at Elena. "Black Friday shoppers can be so annoying."

"Well I suppose that's my cue to go," Enzo said with a smile. He bent down and planted a kiss on Bonnie's lips and Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. They were pretty much full on making out in front of everyone.

Caroline cleared her throat. "There are children present," she said, rubbing at her still very toned stomach.

Enzo chuckled and then planted one last small kiss on Bonnie's cheek. "I'll see you soon, Bonnie." He turned to Elena and Caroline. "Stay warm, ladies."

As he retreated back to his car, Bonnie watched him with her bottom lip pulled between her teeth and stars in her eyes. "He's the best, isn't he?" she dreamily asked Caroline and Elena.

Elena laughed and pulled her phone from her purse just to double check that everything was okay at home. She saw a text from Damon asking him to call her whenever she had a chance and he heart dropped immediately, thinking something was wrong. As she rehearsed through all of the worst possible scenarios in her head, she called him back.

"Hey, beautiful," he answered.

"What's wrong? Is Addie sick? Do you need me to come home?" she instantly began panicking.

Damon let out a chuckle. "If it was something like that, don't you think I would have called instead of just sending a text? Addie's fine. She's still asleep in her room."

Elena nodded, even though he couldn't see her. She took a sip of hot chocolate and looked over to Bonnie and Caroline. Caroline and Bonnie were trading sex stories and Elena was actually thankful to not be a part of that conversation for a moment. That was more than she needed to know and Stefan and Enzo.

"You ladies having fun?" Damon asked, his voice grabbing back her attention.

"If you call standing outside Best Buy in the freezing cold fun, then we're having a blast," Elena said with a smile. "I miss you though. I'd like to be cuddled up in our warm bed right about now."

"Not gonna lie. It's pretty lonely here without you," he breathed out.

"Blame your brother. He's got his eyes set on a PS4 and Caroline is determined to get him this crazy special edition one." After a minute of neither of them saying anything, she spoke up again. "So, what was the reason you wanted me to call you?"

"No reason really other than just to hear your voice and tell you I love you."

Her heart fluttered, quite literally fluttered, in her chest. "I love you too," she responded.

She looked over to see the employees pulling up the gates and people were starting to rush inside the store, all sense of decorum out the window. "Gotta go snatch this PS4!" she yelled into the phone before hanging up and shoving the phone into her back pocket.

Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline linked arms, careful not to spill their hot chocolates on each other as they pushed their way through the swarm of shoppers back to the video game section. The display with the PS4s that Caroline was seeking only had one left and she darted her way over to grab the box before anyone else could get it, leaving Bonnie and Elena stuck in the crowd like a pack of sardines.

Her hands landed on it right as someone else's did. When she looked up to see who it was, Tyler was staring back at her.

He tugged on it a little. "Let go, Care. You don't even play video games," he growled. Clearly he was still pretty upset at her over the whole baby and engagement thing.

"It's not for me," she said, tugging on the box herself.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Of course he'd send his pregnant girlfriend out into this chaos to get him a stupid gaming system."

"Fiancé," Caroline corrected through gritted teeth. "And he doesn't know. It's a surprise."

"Right. How could I forget about the shotgun wedding?" he bit out with a sarcastic laugh. Then he took a glance down at her left hand sitting on the corner of the box and his face went blank.

He let go of the box and let her have it. "That's a really nice ring, Care," he said quietly, now looking down at his feet.

Stefan had taken Caroline to pick out whatever ring she wanted the day after Addie's birthday party. Since they'd announced their engagement, he insisted that she should be wearing an engagement ring. After a little persuasion, Caroline picked out a princess cut diamond on a platinum band. It was quite large, but very timeless.

"I could never really get you anything like that," Tyler admitted sheepishly.

"Tyler," she said with a sigh. "Of all the reasons you and I didn't work out, it wasn't because of money."

He nodded. "I know."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. It's just that you were the first girl I really cared about and I kind of always thought we'd end up together in the end. But then Stefan came along and he's so rich and charming and educated and shit. I can't compete with that."

"Tyler, we fought like cats and dogs when we were together. You know that," she explained. "We would both be miserable if we ended up together."

He nodded again. "Yeah."

"There you are!" Elena called out as she and Bonnie pushed past a few more people. When she caught sight of Tyler standing there too, she waved at him. "Hey, Tyler. We didn't know you'd be here or else you could have stood in line with us."

Tyler shrugged, his eyes looking up from the ground to Elena and Bonnie. "Oh, no worries. Care took the last PS4." His tone was noticeably lighter now.

"Here," Caroline said, holding it out to him. "You're right. I hate video games."

He held up a hand. "No, no. Stefan will really like it."

She continued to hold it out in his direction, but he wouldn't take it.

"Well someone had better claim it before one of the crazies snatches it out of your hand!" Bonnie exclaimed. She motioned around at the frenzied shoppers running past them. "This is insane. Worse than last year!"

After a few more seconds, Caroline gave in and tucked the large box underneath her arm. She looked at Tyler one more time and gave him a small smile. "Still friends?"

"Always," he told her with a smirk. "Who else is going to teach that kid how to change a tire?"

After saying goodbye to Tyler and with a couple bags full of electronics, the three of them made their way back to Elena's CR-V. They sat in the car and let the heat warm them up while they came up with the rest of their plan for the night.

"So, where to next?" Bonnie asked from the backseat, holding up the Black Friday sales paper. "There's Target. Oh! Kohl's has a really good deal on Keurigs!"

Caroline turned around to look at her. "I'm starving."

"Didn't you scarf down a bunch of food at Thanksgiving dinner?" Bonnie asked her.

"I'm eating for two now," Caroline said with a roll of her eyes. She turned to Elena. "Can we stop by McDonald's? The baby wants a Big Mac."

Elena chuckled as she put the car in drive. Pregnancy cravings. She'd been there before and Caroline had graciously driven her to Taco Bell many nights for a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. "If Momma wants a Big Mac, we're getting her a Big Mac."

"Then Kohl's?" Bonnie added.

Elena nodded. "Then Kohl's. Then probably over to Target. I want to get started on some toys for Addie."

About twenty minutes later, Caroline was munching on the last of her French fries as the three of them pulled into the Kohl's parking lot.

"These are deep fried heaven," she moaned as she dipped one in ketchup and popped it into her mouth.

"I have no idea how you just inhaled all of that," Bonnie laughed.

Caroline turned around and swatted playfully at her. "The baby likes greasy food, not me."

"Sure," Bonnie shrugged.

They all climbed out of Elena's car and headed inside the store, which was thankfully less crazy than Best Buy had been. Bonnie pulled out an advertisement of their Black Friday deals out of her purse and looked it over.

"Okay," she said, pointing to the paper. "I'm going to head over to the house stuff and snag a Keurig and some new bedding."

"Perfect," Elena nodded. "We'll be in the clothes section."

Bonnie ventured off in the direction of the home goods as Caroline and Elena started to flip through the endless racks of clothing. Caroline held up a really pretty purple sweater and groaned.

"Pretty soon I won't fit in this stuff anymore," she grumbled. "Baby Salvatore is going to make me fat."

"Fat and pregnant are two different things," Elena responded. She held up a periwinkle cardigan that was open in the front. "This should fit you well into the third trimester. You can still look like your usual fashionable self. You just have to get creative."

"That is kind of cute," she admitted.

Elena handed the cardigan to Caroline. "Told you. And you're going to love maternity jeans. They're really comfortable. Plus, you can get away with yoga pants almost daily and no one will judge you because you're busy growing a kid inside of you."

Caroline held up something for Elena to look at. It was a pink blouse with flowers on it and she immediately shook her head, making a grimace. "Why do you always hate the things I pick out for you?" Caroline asked with a shake of her head.

"Nothing personal. Pink just isn't my color." After a few minutes of flipping through clothes, Elena and Caroline both had armfuls to take to the dressing room.

They picked out stalls right next to each other, each trying on an article of clothing and then stepping out to get the other's opinion. About half of the clothes ending up working out. When they emerged from the dressing room, Bonnie was waiting on them with a cart full of decorations for her apartment and her coveted new Keurig.

"Kohl's is the fucking best," Bonnie smiled as they stood in line to pay.

Caroline seemed a little glum and it was noticeable considering how bubbly and bouncy she normally was. Instead of flipping through the racks next to them in line, she kept her eyes downcast at her own feet and stayed quiet.

"What's up with her?" Bonnie whispered to Elena.

Elena shrugged. "I think she's scared."

"I can hear you both," Caroline interjected. "And I'm not scared. I'm just wondering what my life is going to be like now. I mean, my body is my job. No one's hiring me for promos or photo shoots once I start showing."

"Stefan said he'd take care of you," Bonnie said as she placed a comforting hand on Caroline's back.

"I can't depend on him for everything. It isn't right."

"You can work at the garage with us?" Elena offered.

"I know nothing about cars. I'd be awful at it."

"You can learn. Right, Bonnie?"

Bonnie nodded her head. "If Tyler can figure out cars, anyone can."

"Thank you, both of you. You're the best." Caroline smiled as she stepped forward in line and paid for the clothes she'd picked out. She was sure to pick things that left a little room for her growing belly.

* * *

Exhausted, Elena heaved her shopping bags into the house as she waved goodbye to Bonnie and Caroline. She quickly hid Addie's toys from Target in the top of a closet, her usual hiding spot for Christmas presents. She left the rest of the shopping bags by the door next to her winter boots and she was sure to double check the deadbolt before she got too comfortable.

Damon was soundly asleep on the couch, his hand still holding the remote control as the TV quietly droned on in the background. He was covered in his go-to blanket, his bare feet peeking out from the bottom. And he was softly snoring, a sound that was more comforting to Elena than anything. It was an odd and very strange lullaby that she'd grown accustomed to hearing whenever she fell asleep herself.

Quietly, she plucked the remote out of his hand, turned off the TV, and then set it on the table. She sat down beside of him and gently stroked his hair until his eyes fluttered open and she was met with his blue irises.

"Hey," he greeted her, his voice gruff with sleep.

"Hey back."

He sat up a little to give her a kiss and she was grateful for the warmth coming from his body. Even after the ride home in her heated car, she was still trying to thaw out from being in the cold.

"Your nose is freezing," he mumbled as he brushed his own against hers.

"I'll live," she beamed, going back in for another kiss. She allowed him to pull her closer until she was straddling on top of him while he laid on the couch.

He bucked his hips up slowly, pressing into her center. He was already hard and she'd been home for ten minutes. She shook her head and gave him a smile, climbing off of him. Twice earlier in the day should have been enough to satisfy him, but Damon had an insatiable need for her.

"I'm exhausted. Tomorrow?" she offered.

"Fine," he gave in. "But you owe me."

She held out a hand to help him up off the couch. "Don't I always pay up?"

He nodded with a huge grin, throwing the blanket off of himself and standing from the couch. The two of them walked through the house, Elena stopping to turn off all of the lights as they did so.

"Did you lock the door?" he asked.

She nodded. "I double checked."

They quietly padded down the hallway to Addie's room to check in on her. She was still sleeping soundly in her bed, her expression content, embracing her doll tightly in her arms. With it already almost three in the morning, she'd be up and ready for breakfast in four to five hours. That meant Elena needed to get some sleep while she still could.

"So I had an interesting conversation with your dad today," Damon mentioned as he shut their bedroom door behind them.

Elena shimmied out of her jeans and plucked one of Damon's t-shirts from a dresser drawer. She took off her sweater and bra then replaced it with the black shirt. "Did he do that thing where he tries to be the cool dad? I used to hate when he did that with my high school boyfriends."

He climbed into bed and waited for her to join him before he pulled the covers up. Tightly tucked into the sheets, he reached for her and brought her close to rest her head on his bare chest. "He was cool, until I brought up the possibility of marrying you someday."

"You said what?" Elena sat up quickly, her voice louder than it needed to be. "Damon!"

He shushed her. "You'll wake up Addie."

She took a deep breath and lowered her volume. "We aren't ready for that yet. Don't you think it's too soon?"

"I'm not saying we get engaged tomorrow or anything. They were fishing for my intentions, so I was just being honest," Damon admitted. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't something I wanted with you someday."

Elena grinned at him. "That's something I think I want someday too."

He gently reached for her arm and pulled her back down to lay on his chest. Once she was all settled in and snuggled close to him, he wrapped his arms around her. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, her breaths tickling him in a way that he never wanted to end.

"Maybe someday will be sooner than we think," he whispered to her sleeping form, smoothing her hair back with his hand. Winning his title back was something he thought he wanted more than anything in the world. Now he was finally realizing that the thing he truly wanted more than anything was a family to call his own.

* * *

Early Friday morning, Damon's alarm blared on his phone. The Friday after Thanksgiving was supposed to be a holiday and for most people, it was. The garage was closed so Elena was happy to be home with Addie all day. For Damon, unfortunately, he did not have the day off. In fact, he'd be working extra hard at the gym with Ric to get rid of that pumpkin pie from yesterday.

"Turn it off," Elena whined. "It's a holiday."

He shook his head as he slid himself out of bed. "Not for me."

She buried her head into the pillow and huffed. "I just want to sleep in for once."

"I can get Addie set up with breakfast and cartoons before I leave," he offered, chuckling at how difficult she was being. Normally the shoe was on the other foot with her practically dragging him out of bed and him resisting in every way possible. Staying up late shopping with Caroline and Bonnie must have really exhausted her.

"That's okay. I want to spend some time with her today," Elena replied as she sat up and pulled the covers off of her. "I need to talk to her about Liam."

Damon ran a hand over his face. It was too early to be mentioning that asshole, but he was trying his absolute best to maintain his cool about the whole situation. After all, it wasn't really his place to intervene. He couldn't really meddle in something that he technically had no say in.

"You're awful at hiding your emotions," Elena told him as she sauntered past him into the bathroom, the door closing with a click behind her.

He heard the sound of the shower running so he threw his sweatpants and t-shirt back on then headed into the kitchen to start some coffee. It wasn't like he hadn't told Elena how he felt about Addie meeting Liam. He'd made it very clear that he didn't want it to happen, but he couldn't stop it. This was a decision Elena had to make. He had to let her figure all of it out on her own. But that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

"Friend Damon?" Addie sleepily stood in the kitchen behind him. "You woke me up."

He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry, Princess. I thought I was being quiet."

"It's okay," she shrugged, wiping her tired eyes with the back of her small hand. "What's for breakfast?"

He smiled at her. Toddlers were so easy to appease sometimes. Then he stood up and started to rifle through cabinets in search of some cereal. "Cheerios?" he called to Addie over his shoulder.

"Muffins?" she countered.

"No can do, Princess. Trust me. You don't want me to bake," he said as he turned around with the cereal box in his hand.

Elena walked out in her favorite vintage Fleetwood Mac t-shirt. She dressed it with a pair of tight fitting jeans that made Damon want to peel them directly back off of her and her hair was still wet and slightly dripping. "I can make muffins," she offered. "Blueberry?"

Addie nodded enthusiastically.

She turned to look at Damon. "And for you, Mr. I'm on a training diet?"

He put the cereal box away and then raised his cup of black coffee in her direction. "This and probably some eggs."

She walked over, bumped Damon with her hip so that she could pour herself a cup of coffee, and then started to drag out a ton of ingredients from the cabinets. "Eggs and blueberry muffins coming right up," she smiled as she started to put together some batter.

He could tell she was trying to get on Addie's good side, buttering her up with a special breakfast before she dropped the Liam bomb on her a little bit later. He only hoped that it worked. As much as it would placate his sense of jealousy to have Addie hate Liam before she even met him, he knew it would make things much harder on Elena. So selflessly, he was hoping that Addie didn't throw too much of a tantrum about it.

While Elena was cooking and chatting with Addie, Damon ventured back into the bedroom to change into his workout clothes. He took his coffee mug with him, setting it on the nightstand and occasionally sipping from it as he searched for clothes and tied his shoes. As he was packing his gym bag with some extra tape, he heard Elena scream and he immediately dropped his coffee mug, the last of its contents spilling all over the carpet.

When he rushed into the kitchen to check on them, instead of finding her in tears, Elena was standing in the kitchen with Agent Wilson while Addie studied them curiously from the kitchen table. She turned and started to gesture at Damon wildly, her hands dusted with a little flour.

"They caught Elijah!" she exclaimed. "They got him a couple of hours ago on a train in Belfast."

Fucking finally. He was tired of having to look over his shoulder every five minutes and he knew Elena was too. Despite her therapy going well, he knew she was never truly at ease with the Mikaelsons still on the loose. "Klaus too?" he asked Agent Wilson.

"Afraid not," Agent Wilson replied, his hands clasped in front of him.

Elena's face fell. "He's still out there?"

"For now, ma'am. But we'll get him."

She nodded, a bit of disappointment evident on her face. "Thank you for keeping us informed."

Damon tried not to let the disappointment show on his as well when he escorted Agent Wilson to the front door. Catching Elijah may have been a huge checkmark for them, but the real danger was still very much out there. It didn't put them at ease very much. Still, it was a start and maybe Elijah knew where Klaus actually was so that the FBI could find him now. He tried not to hold out too much hope in that.

* * *

Elena closed the front door behind Damon and locked the deadbolt, turning around and leaning her head against it. She touched her lips with her fingertips. They were still tingly from kissing Damon goodbye. Ever since she'd been taken by Klaus, he always kissed her goodbye like he was going off the war.

She heard the Camaro's engine spring to life and then listened as it accelerated down the road. He'd be back from training in time for dinner, but until then it was just her and Addie for the day. If she wasn't using the opportunity to talk to Addie about Liam, she'd be excited for a mommy/daughter day. Instead, she was slightly dreading it. Talking to Addie about her father wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

"Addie! What should we do today?" Elena bellowed into the kitchen. She walked in and Addie was popping the last piece of a homemade blueberry muffin into her mouth.

Yeah, those may have been a little bit of a bribe. Worth the impending sugar crash if they worked, though.

"Can we have hot chocolate and watch a movie?" Addie asked.

Elena nodded and then reached to pick her up. "Sure, but first you need a bath and then maybe you can help me run some errands?"

"Where we going?" Addie asked curiously as they settled into the guest bathroom, the one that Addie normally used.

Elena set her down and started to run some warm water in the tub. She even dug some bubble bath out from underneath the cabinet and squirted a little underneath the tap. The water started to foam immediately.

"Grocery shopping and then to Grandma and Grandpa's house to pick up a few things."

She helped Addie get out of her pajamas and then lifted her into the tub. Once seated, Addie immediately reached for one of her waterproof toys that were in a net on the wall and started playing with it.

"Water too cold?" Elena asked as she scrubbed Addie's arm with a washcloth.

She shook her head no and made her doll do a dive underneath the bubbles.

"So I've been thinking," Elena began. "Would you like to take a vacation?"

Addie looked up at her, taking the attention away from her toy for a moment. "Can we go to the beach?"

"Um, maybe somewhere else this time. I was thinking a big city!" she responded, trying to make Charlotte sound exciting to a three year old.

"Maybe," Addie shrugged, her gaze back down at her doll.

"You, me, and Uncle Jeremy can go to a place called Charlotte after Christmas. It's got a lot of tall buildings and a really cool museum just for kids," Elena tried to convince her. She tilted Addie's head back and used a cup of water to rinse some shampoo out of her hair.

"Can Friend Damon come too?" Addie asked.

"Not this time."

She pouted. "I want him to come on vacation with us."

"He can't, baby. I'll explain more later, okay?"

Still not impressed or excited, Addie nodded her head. Elena reached down to unplug the drain and the bath water immediately began to swirl out of the bathtub. She wrapped Addie in a towel and guided her down the hall. Once they were in Addie's bedroom, she opened up a couple of drawers and started to peruse for an outfit.

"What do you feel like wearing?" she asked Addie.

Addie was quiet and merely shrugged.

Elena looked down and gave her a smile. "How about your blue snowflake shirt?"

"Why can't Friend Damon come with us?" Tears started to well up in her eyes, her cheeks turning pink.

"Oh baby," Elena bent down to swipe Addie's tears from her cheeks. "He wants to, but he just can't."

Addie's tears started to fall even harder. "Is he leaving me?"

"No. Damon's not leaving. I promise." She brought Addie in for a hug, her little curls dripping water and mixing with the falling tears to dampen Elena's t-shirt. This was the first time she truly felt how attached Addie had become to Damon. She knew he meant a lot to her, but just the mere mention of them going somewhere without him left her in tears.

"Okay," Addie sniffled. "If you promise."

Elena nodded. "I do."

"The blue snowflakes are fine," Addie said, changing the subject.

* * *

An hour later, Elena strapped a very bundled up Addie into her car seat in the back of her CR-V in the grocery store parking lot. Sometime during the task of dressing her and taming her hair, she'd managed to calm her down enough to get her focused on what they needed from the grocery store. She felt so awful for upsetting Addie that she even agreed to a pack of Oreo's and a box of Little Debbie's once they were inside. She loaded up the groceries from her cart into the trunk and slammed it shut with a loud thud.

"As agreed upon," she told Addie, tossing her a snack-size box for Barnum's Animal Crackers. They were a childhood favorite for Elena and her daughter seemed to love them just as much.

Addie popped one into her mouth, seeming a little more chipper as the time passed. "Thank you," she told Elena as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Elena drove towards her parents' house. The only box left of pictures of Liam was housed in their attic. If she was being honest, she'd hoped the day would never come that she would need to pull it down. Unfortunately for her, that day was today.

"Oh, I know this song! Friend Damon taught it to me!" Addie cheered.

Reaching for the volume button, Elena turned up the station and Hey Jude by the Beatles filled the speakers. She smiled as the two of them sang along, Addie getting about half of the words right but trying her best. The song faded into another classic and another as she made the short drive. She glanced back into her rearview mirror to check on Addie pretty often and it seemed like her earlier tears were pretty much gone by now. Instead, she was busying herself with her animal crackers while bobbing her head along to the music.

When they pulled up outside the Gilbert's large house, Elena shut the car off and took a huge deep breath in. She wasn't about to leave the house with that box in tow without having to answer some questions about it and Grayson had yet to be filled in on everything. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around to look at Addie. "Ready, little one?"

Addie nodded and started to tug at the buckles on her car seat, eager to get out and go see her grandparents. Laughing, Elena got out of the car to go around and help her.

Holding hands, the two of them walked up the steps to the large front porch and Elena knocked. It was probably unlocked and she could have easily just pushed the door open, but she always tried to be polite.

Grayson opened the door, surprised to see them standing on the other side. Elena hadn't called to let them know she was heading over or anything.

"My girls!" he smiled.

"Hi Grandpa!" Addie immediately scurried past him, inside and straight to her toys.

He looked up to Elena and moved aside so she could step in from the cold. "Are we watching her today? I thought the garage was closed."

"We are." She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans nervously. "I just wanted to grab something from the attic really quick. I won't be long since we've got groceries in the car. Is that okay?"

"Oh sure. Let me help you," he offered. "You know that ladder isn't super sturdy. I can at least hold it while you climb up."

"Thanks, Dad." They walked through the house until they got to the entrance for the attic, a small opening in the ceiling that was exposed when you pulled down on a string. The ladder easily folded out and she planted the bottom of it onto the hardwood floors, giving a tug to see how secure it would be.

Grayson walked over to the other side and placed his hands on the ladder to hold it still while Elena started to climb up. When she was up there, she maneuvered through the small space looking for the box.

"I hope we didn't throw it away," Grayson called from down below. "Miranda made me do a little spring cleaning this year."

Her eyes landed on it in that moment, a cardboard box all tattered and dusty sitting in the corner beneath a box of her high school trophies. "I see it," she told Grayson as she reached for it. "Hey, is Mom around today?"

"Went into town with Jeremy to get him some new clothes," Grayson answered. "Want to toss it down to me so you're hands are free to climb back down?"

Elena bit her lip and looked down at the box in her arms. The flaps were partially closed, but a picture of Liam and her posing next to his old Mustang was still visible through the folds. If he didn't look too closely, Grayson probably wouldn't know what was even in it. "Sure," she said uneasily. She crouched down next to the hole and handed it to hand carefully. "It's a little heavy," she warned.

"I got it," he grunted as he took the box from her. He set it down out of the way without looking at it too much and moved back around to hold the ladder while she climbed down.

When they emerged back into the living room, Elena held the box protectively in her arms. "Thanks for this. I should grab Addie. I promised her hot chocolate this afternoon."

"Anything else you need right now, sweetheart?" Grayson offered. He was always trying to take care of her, even now that she was a parent herself.

"We're doing great, Dad." She moved to kiss him on the cheek, balancing the box on her hip with one arm as she did so.

Just when she thought she was out of the woods, he glanced down at the small opening in the box. "Liam's stuff?" he questioned.

She nodded uncomfortably. "Um, yeah."

"I was hoping you'd never have to pull that box down," he said sadly. "Is she asking questions about him already?"

"Sort of. I mean, she's confused why her friends have dads and she doesn't," Elena spoke. Then she said the next sentence much quieter and quicker. "And Liam wants to meet her."

Grayson grimaced. "You don't owe that to him, Elena."

"I think it might be good for them to meet each other," she tried to explain, even though she didn't really believe it herself. She didn't have it in her heart to tell her father that it wasn't really her choice in the end. "I'm not saying they have to have a relationship, but she should at least know who he is. I don't want her to resent me for keeping them apart."

"Do you resent me for not making more of an effort to find your mother for you?" he asked her. Hurt flashed into his eyes for a moment.

"Oh God, no. Dad, I didn't mean it like that." She shook her head, wishing she could take back those words. "That woman is not my mother. The woman that gave birth and then abandoned is nothing to me."

"Addie may feel the same about Liam," he told her.

Elena nodded. "She might, but I have to let that be her choice."

* * *

Once she pried Addie away from all of her toys at her grandparents' house, they made their way back home. After unloading all of the groceries from the car and putting them away, a task that made her wish Damon was there so he could carry everything for her all in one trip, she started making a couple mugs of hot chocolate. She even let Addie have extra marshmallows in hers.

She sat both mugs and the box on the kitchen table and called to Addie to come out of her room. Addie came running to the kitchen at the mention of hot cocoa, her bare feet pattering against the floor. Addie climbed up in one of the chairs and reached for the mug with both hands greedily.

"Careful," Elena warned, taking the seat next to her. "It's still very warm. Take little sips, okay?"

After a few minutes of Addie slurping loudly from her mug, Elena broke the silence. "So I want to finish the talk we had earlier about taking a vacation."

"Why can't Friend Damon come with us?" Addie asked, looking up at her mother.

She took a deep breath. "We're going to go visit your dad."

"I have a dad?" Addie's eyes widened. "Why doesn't he come to see me? Isaac says that dads help fix stuff when they break. He didn't fix my tire swing when it broke."

"Your dad lives in Charlotte, which is a little far away, but he very much wants to meet you." Elena couldn't bear to tell her that for the first three years of her daughter's life, Liam had no interest in meeting her. She tried to steer the conversation in a positive direction. Dropping this kind of bomb was big enough without adding in any of her own negative feelings about Liam.

Addie nodded and looked down at her mug, like she was trying to take it all in. After a few seconds, she spoke. "Won't Friend Damon be sad if we leave him all alone?"

"He understands."

"I don't want to go without him," Addie muttered.

"Adaline, Damon is very important to both of us and we both love him, but just try to give your dad a chance?" she gently pushed. She reached for the box on the table. "I have pictures of him if you want to see what he looks like."

"Fine," Addie responded, but her tone was very unenthusiastic.

Elena pulled out several photos of Liam. There was the one on top of the two of them next to his Mustang. There were a couple of them just hanging out at Gilbert's Garage. A few pictures were taken in the old apartment that they shared, their friends surrounding them and laughing. These were the happy moments that were captured, the times in which Liam chose to acknowledge Elena as his girlfriend and made her feel loved. They were few and far between, but they existed.

She spread the pictures out onto the table in front of Addie, leaving Liam's old t-shirts and the few tools he left behind inside the box. "That's your dad. His name is Liam."

"He has green eyes like me," Addie said, pointing to one of the close-up photos of him laughing while standing next to Tyler.

Elena nodded. "He does."

"Is that Uncle Matt?" Addie asked, pointing to another picture of them in the garage. "And Grandpa?"

"It is. We all used to work together back when Grandpa owned the garage."

Addie furrowed her eyebrows. "Why did my dad leave?"

Elena's eyes welled with tears because no matter how positive she spun the truth, she knew that Addie was going to take it personally. As someone whose birth parent walked out shortly after she was born, she knew the weight of that feeling and it killed her to think that Addie would have to bear it too. It was a lot for a three year-old to take in and it was unfair of Liam to make her explain this, but she wanted to be honest.

"Liam just wasn't ready to be a daddy yet. But that doesn't mean that he didn't love you," Elena tried to explain, obviously choosing to embellish and sugarcoat it a little bit. "You're perfect, Adaline. He just had to grow up a little bit and now he's ready to meet you."

Addie shoved the pictures away from her, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't want to go."

"Sweetheart, just try? For me?" Elena hated every bit of this. Liam didn't deserve the chance to meet this beautiful little girl who sat in front of her.

"Fine," Addie gave in. "If I don't like him, can I pick a new dad?"

"Well, who would you pick?" Elena asked, trying to play along.

"Friend Damon," Addie replied matter-of-factly, no hesitation in her voice, as if it was the most obvious and logical thing in the world to her.

It was the second time that she'd said it, but it was the first time Elena had heard it. Taken by surprise, Elena coughed and tried to quell her coughing fit with a sip of hot chocolate. She put her hand to her chest and tried to compose herself. To be truthful, she wished for that too. Sometimes she wished she'd met Damon sooner, before Liam. But then she would be mothering a completely different kid than Addie and Addie was the best thing that ever happened to her. Some things just weren't meant to be changed. But that didn't mean that some things weren't just meant to be.

* * *

 **A/N: Idk about ya'll, but I live in the South and we're suffering from a heat wave right now that has me wishing for Thanksgiving. For the cool weather obviously, but also for the sweet potato casserole. Anyone else a fan of that stuff? I could literally eat it by the pan full.**

 **Also the Black Friday shopping part is based on real life experiences. I once waited outside Best Buy from 10pm to midnight for the employees to open the gates so I could run inside and get a laptop for college. It was one heck of a deal. And yes, it was super cold and people were super grumpy about cutting in line. Best Buy actually had complimentary hot chocolate outside for everyone. No Enzo required.**

 **But, I digress. Please share your thoughts on the chapter if you feel so inclined.**


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: Is anyone still there? It's been awhile, huh?**

 **An explanation for my absence - I've had a sick dog for awhile and we unfortunately had to say goodbye to him recently. I didn't feel inspired to write for a little while after that. Grief is a tricky thing, but I think my husband and I are healing more day by day.** **And part of that healing is to write! So here's the next chapter of our DE story! Fluff, smut, and a tiny bit of angst. Our three favorite things.**

 **Special thanks to winterbabyalways for prereading and perfecting this chapter. She's pretty much my brain twin, ya'll.**

* * *

"Momma! It's snowing!" Addie screamed, as she pressed her face against the cold glass on a window in the kitchen. She perched herself up onto her toes to get a better look.

Elena yawned. No matter how long she'd been a mother, getting up early on a Saturday morning never got an easier. It was well into December and the cold weather had fully taken over. At least in November, they'd been treated with a few lingering sunny days in between. Now, the temperature was below freezing most mornings.

Damon shuffled his way into the kitchen, dressed in flannel pajama bottoms, his hair a mess on top of his head. He scratched at his bare chest as he fully opened his eyes. Yeah, he wasn't exactly a morning person either. It appeared the only reason the household woke up before 7am on the weekends was because Addie deemed it so.

"Coffee?" Elena asked him, holding out a freshly made cup in his direction.

He gratefully accepted it from her and took a huge gulp of it before making his way over to the window Addie was gazing out of. When he reached down to scoop her from the floor with his free hand, she yelped and laughed in surprise. The two of them both looked back out at the falling snow.

"Can we play in it?" Addie asked.

He took another sip of coffee. "We have to ask your mom, Princess."

Addie turned her head to look at her mother, who was busying herself by kneading some cinnamon roll dough. It was a homemade recipe that Miranda taught her how to make and a favorite of Addie's. Elena may have still been feeling a tinge of guilt about forcing Addie to meet Liam, so she'd been spoiling her with treats for the past few weeks.

"Momma, can we go play in the snow today?" Addie asked her.

Elena chuckled. "I think that would be fun. After breakfast, we'll all get bundled up and go make snow angels."

"And a snow man like Olaf from Frozen?"

"Sure."

When the timer finally dinged and Elena pulled the fresh cinnamon rolls from the oven, the room immediately filled with the aroma. Her stomach let out an audible growl and Damon chuckled at her from the kitchen table. She turned to him and cocked an eyebrow. "You eating any of this?"

"With a smell like that, I think I'm obligated," he nodded.

Addie was already excitedly trying to climb up into her highchair, but Damon leapt up to help her before she toppled it over. He was getting to be pretty good at securing her in that thing, though it took him a few tries to get it right at first.

With their plates in front of them a few minutes later, the three of them dug into their warm breakfast. Despite the fact that she was using a fork, it didn't take long for Addie to get the cream cheese icing all over her hands and face. Elena looked over and sighed. It was somehow even in her hair. Would her daughter ever learn to eat without requiring a bath afterwards?

She looked over to Damon, who hadn't even begun to use his fork, opting to dive right into his plate with his fingers. Turns out he wasn't exactly a model eater himself. It'd be up to her to make sure anyone in this house had any semblance of table manners.

Her cell phone rang from in the living room, but she stayed at the kitchen table and let it go to voicemail. This was quality time with Damon and Addie. Anything else would just have to wait. Damon stood up and grabbed her nearly empty coffee mug to refill it for her. She didn't even need to ask. He just did it. Addie laughed and talked about how excited she was to throw snowballs like they do on TV. When Damon returned with Elena's coffee, he promised to teach Addie how to make the perfect snowball.

And it was in that moment that Elena knew. She knew that she wanted to marry Damon too someday. At the small kitchen table, eating a normal breakfast on a Saturday morning, watching the snow falling outside of the window. She knew. She smiled as she sipped her coffee, nodding along to whatever Addie was ranting about now.

"What's got you so cheery this morning?" Damon leaned over to whisper to her.

"I'm just happy. I'm really, really happy."

He shot her that smirk that made her heart flutter in her chest. "I'm happy that you're happy," he replied.

"Can we go play now?" Addie asked. "I finished my food."

"Don't worry about the dishes," Damon assured her. "I got it covered."

Elena nodded, stood up, and started to unlatch Addie's highchair. "We need to clean you up and then put on some warm clothes, but then yes."

She took Addie into the bathroom and wiped her down with a washcloth, first her face and then her hands. She did the best she could to get the icing out of her hair, but that would require a full bath after playing in the snow. When they were done, she started digging through Addie's closet for her warmest clothes. Wool socks for underneath her rain boots, a long sleeve shirt under a sweatshirt, and leggings under jeans; complete with a scarf, hat, and gloves that Elena set aside for later. Addie was halfway bundled up when she asked her to go wait in the living room while she and Damon got ready.

As her daughter scampered off, her wool socks sliding along the floor, Elena walked down the hallway to the bedroom. Damon was sitting on the bed, pushing his feet into his black boots and lacing them up. He'd already settled on a Henley and a beanie, both black of course. The jeans he had on were just tight enough that she could see the muscles flexing in his thighs. She didn't tell him enough just how fucking gorgeous he was.

With her bottom lip tugged between her teeth, she quelled the desire she felt to rip all of those clothes off of him and rifled through her drawers to find some clothes that would keep her from chilling to the bone. She started to strip out of her pajamas when she felt two warm hands slide across her bare stomach. Damon pressed his hard chest against her back and brought his mouth right next to her ear. Apparently he was feeling pretty similar to her.

"You smell amazing," he spoke lowly, his warm lips dragging over the skin below her earlobe. "Like brown sugar and cinnamon." His hands started to dip lower, skimming over the top of her underwear.

She caught them with her own before they went too far, taking a small step forward away from him. At least one of them needed to have some self-control here. "We've got an antsy toddler out there who you promised to throw snowballs with."

He sighed. "I know and I'm looking forward to it. Doesn't mean I don't want to have my way with you first."

When he reached for her again, she playfully swatted his hand away. "No time," she giggled and then when she turned around to see the disappointed look on his face, she laughed harder. "Damon Salvatore isn't used to being shot down, is he?"

"Apparently not," he said, smirking at her. He rubbed a hand across the stubble on his jaw and then pulled his bottom lip between his teeth while he stared at her like she was something to eat.

A part of her melted into a puddle right then and there. If he kept doing that, then she'd surely give in. Instead, she focused on pulling up her jeans and shrugging on her sweater. "C'mon, Romeo. Let's go before she has a fit."

"Fine," he huffed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and pouting.

Elena yanked him out of the bedroom by the crook of his elbow. "I promise I'll make it up to you later," she whispered to him as they walked into the hallway.

When they rounded the corner, Addie was standing at the kitchen window again with her nose pressed up against the glass. Her small hands were fidgeting by her sides and she was bouncing on her toes with excitement.

"Ready?" Elena asked her.

Addie turned her attention away from the window and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

"Well let's get your gloves, hat, and scarf on then," Damon said with a smile.

He held out a hand to her, which Addie happily accepted, and the two of them walked into the living room to finish getting her dressed. He held out one glove and she shoved her hand into it. Then he did the other. He wrapped her scarf around her neck securely and then tugged her hat onto her head, careful to tuck the tops of her ears underneath the fabric. "There," he said as he tapped her nose with his finger. "All ready for a snowball fight."

Elena's phone rang again and he glanced over to it on the coffee table next to them. He rolled his eyes at the name on the screen. Liam. Words couldn't express how much he hated that Elena was in contact with that prick now, but he couldn't exactly ask her not to be. They shared a daughter and if it was what was best for Addie, he had to put up with it.

"Who's calling?" Elena asked as she walked into the living room with Addie's rain boots in one hand.

"Liam," he gritted out, unable to hide the displeasure in his tone.

She thought for a minute, seeming to debate something in her head. By the time she grabbed her phone from the table, it had stopped ringing. "Do you guys want to head on out there? I'll meet you in a few minutes."

Damon sighed and turned his attention back to the adorable little girl in front of him. He refused to let Liam ruin a perfectly good Saturday with her. "Yeah, sounds good. What do you say, Addie? We'll go find a good spot for your snowman?"

Elena stepped forward and bent down to plant a kiss on Addie's forehead. "I'll be out there soon, munchkin."

Addie nodded in response, already running towards the front door. Damon got up to start chasing after her, but Elena managed to hold him back long enough to steal a kiss from him. She could feel in the way he touched his lips to hers that he was frustrated by Liam's phone call.

Once the front door slammed closed behind them, Elena let the silence overwhelm her for a few moments. Among the list of things that she and Damon had faced together, Liam seemed to be the one point of contention that just kept coming up. She just wanted to do the right thing, but she wavered so much on what the right thing really was. It would be downright unfair of her to ask Damon to accept Liam's sudden involvement in Addie's life and to a lesser extent, in her own life. Damon was there day in and day out; loving, helping, supporting. He'd done everything right by them and yet at the end of the day, he had little to show for it.

Meanwhile, Liam had done nothing but wronged Elena and Addie. The only reason she'd even agreed to letting him back into their lives was to protect Damon. Truthfully though, she knew that Addie was Liam's daughter too and she might be doing her daughter a disservice by keeping them apart. She thought back to Addie's birthday, when she told the neighbor's kid that she didn't have a dad. The words felt like a punch in the gut. Maybe Addie should know her father; maybe it would give her a little clarity.

She dialed Liam's number back on her phone and lifted it to ear, listening to the slow rings coming from the speaker. And then there was his voice when he answered, the sound of which still made her wince with painful memories of the past.

"Elena, hey," he greeted her, almost too cordially for her liking. Liam had never been overly warm to her, unless he wanted something.

"Hey," she replied awkwardly. "Um, I'm just giving you a call back."

She heard the clanging of metal tools in the background. He must have been at work. "Oh yeah, thanks. I just wanted to finalize some details about January. How long will you be here?"

"Friday night through Sunday morning, I think. I can't really leave the garage unattended for much longer than that and Jeremy has school the following Monday," she explained, chewing on her thumbnail.

"Well there's a hotel close to my house that I figured would be good for you and Jeremy to stay at," he began. "That way you're not too far away when she's spending the night here, in case she needs you or whatever."

Elena froze, her hand dropping from her mouth. Leaving Addie alone with Liam was never part of the plan. She'd made it clear that this was a supervised visit only. If things went well, maybe in time she'd feel comfortable leaving Addie with him for a couple of hours. Maybe. And that was a big maybe. "Liam, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that."

"Why?" he asked rudely, the niceness in his voice basically gone. "It's a nice hotel. Probably not as good as whatever digs your rich boyfriend puts you up in, but it's got an indoor pool. You think you're too good for middle class now? I swear you fuck some guy with a little bit of money and now you're all hoity-toity and shit."

"The hotel isn't the problem. I can't just leave Addie with you," Elena interjected.

He scoffed and she could basically hear him rolling his eyes and her. "She's my kid."

"Liam, you have to understand that to her, you are a complete stranger. She's lived three years of her life thinking that you didn't exist." She took a calming breath and tried to further explain, but he interrupted her before she could.

"Do you leave her alone with Salvatore?" he barked loudly into the phone.

Despite the fact that he was raising his voice to her, Elena tried to keep her cool. "That's different. Damon and Addie have a friendship. She trusts him. I trust him."

"And you don't trust me, is that it?"

"Well you haven't exactly given me any reason to," she remarked dryly and immediately she wished she could take the words back, but she was losing her patience with him.

"You know what, Elena?" he snapped back. "You want to be like that? Fine. We'll play by your stupid, fucking little bullshit rules. You can hover over me with your delinquent of a little brother by your side. You know I used to sell him pot, right? Jeremy smoked so much weed in high school and you had no idea. But you're right; I'm the threat to my daughter. Not your brother, or that slut of a best friend Caroline Forbes, or Matt Donovan, who practically moved into our house and started fucking you the minute I left."

"That's enough, Liam!" Elena shouted at him, her voice reverberating in the small space of her living room. She looked down at her palm and saw that she'd been digging her fingernails into it, leaving little crescent shaped indentions in the skin. She took in a deep breath before she started speaking again, aware that the other end of the phone had gone silent. "Not that it's any of your goddamn business, but Matt and I are and always have been just friends. And don't you dare talk about my brother or my best friend like that; both of who have been there for Addie since before the day she was born. You left, Liam. It was your choice to leave me and to leave your daughter. Now it's my choice to determine under what circumstances you spend time with her."

There were a few more moments of silence after Elena finished speaking and she took the phone away from her ear to make sure he hadn't hung up on her. The call was still connected, so she waited patiently for him to respond, happy that she finally let out the anger she'd been holding in while she played nice with him this whole time.

"And it's my choice whether I tell the press all about your boyfriend assaulting me," he calmly and quietly threatened.

"Do that," she replied firmly, not backing down even though her heart was beating a million times a minute. "Damon's prepared to deal with the consequences of his actions, like a real adult. Are you, Liam? Our agreement was for a supervised visit. I'm not willing to amend those terms."

"Then I guess I'll see you, Jeremy, and Adaline in January," he bit out, seemingly compliant, though his tone suggested that he didn't want to be.

"You certainly will. And Liam?"

"Yeah?"

"She goes by Addie. Your daughter's name is Addie." With that, she hung up the call and flung her phone onto a nearby chair.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She couldn't let him ruin the rest of her day, not when she could hear the laughter of Addie and Damon coming from outside the house. They were waiting on her so she quickly finished getting ready to join them.

Bundled up in her own coat and mittens a few minutes later, with the phone call with Liam still heavily weighing on her shoulders, Elena nudged the front door open and stepped out into the snow, the white powder crunching underneath her boots. Her scowl morphed into a grin the second she saw two blurs run past her, the sound of Addie's giggling as Damon chased her through the snow echoing in the air.

"Gotcha!" Damon said as he effortlessly picked her up and tucked her underneath one of his arms.

Addie squealed as he marched over to a huge pile of fluffy snow, a couple feet high, and plopped her down into it. She sat up and narrowed her eyes at him while pointing a finger. "Friend Damon, you got me again!"

"Let's team up," Elena spoke up as she trudged over to them. "I bet we can take him down together."

"Momma!" Addie yelled in excitement.

Elena offered a helping hand to her and pulled her up out of the snow pile. "We got this. Girl power, right?" she winked.

"You ladies are ganging up on me?" Damon said, a smile rising on his face. "Little old innocent me?"

"Yep!" Addie yelled.

"I'm hurt," he said, clutching at his heart. "Wounded, right here." With that, he took off through the snow and around the corner of the house.

"Let's get him!" Elena laughed, grabbing Addie's hand and running after him with her. The two of them peeked around the corner and were immediately pelted with two snowballs. "Oh, you're going to get it now, Damon Salvatore!"

He was cornered, unable to go any further due to a line of trees behind him and after they dodged a few more snowballs, Elena and Addie made their move. They charged at him, lunging and knocking him down into the cold snowflakes. He landed on the ground with a thud, a loud and deep laugh coming from him as they pinned him to the ground.

"I surrender!" he begged. "You win!"

"Say girls rule, boys drool!" Elena teased.

Addie wriggled around on his chest, pushing him further into the deep snow. "Yeah. Say it!"

"Girls rule," he said hesitantly.

"And?" Addie prompted, followed by a giggle.

"Boys drool."

"What do you think, Addie? Should we let him up?" Elena asked, her body pressed flush to his side and her leg slung over his waist to hold him down.

"Probably. He's nice."

"You're saved by the mercy of a three year old," Elena told him, planting a quick kiss on his lips. She shifted to move off of him, picking Addie up as she went.

Damon stood up, brushing the snow from his arms and legs as he did so. He wore a smile that was reserved only for the two of them. To the world, he was commanding. He was strong and vicious. With them, he was a different Damon. He was playful. He was nurturing and loving.

"Snowman time?" Addie asked as she jostled around in Elena arms, trying to break free.

Elena nodded and set her daughter back down onto her feet in the snow. "Snowman time."

Damon followed behind them as they moved back into the front yard. Once they picked out the perfect spot, he started to instruct Addie on how to build a snowman and soon they were packing snow together to form three large spheres. When it came time to stack them, Damon did the heavy lifting with ease.

"Hmm," he said, standing back to take a look. "He needs a face."

"Do we have any rocks?" Addie asked.

Elena walked over to the front porch and dug through the snow for a handful of pebbles, remnants of her long forgotten spring garden. She handed a few to Addie. "Here we go."

Damon lifted Addie in his arms so that she could arrange the pebbles in the shape of eyes and a smile. He helped her push them firmly into the snow so that they wouldn't fall and when they were done, they stepped back to admire their work.

"Looks good, Princess." He placed a kiss on her cheek, which was now red from the cold.

Addie laid her head on Damon's shoulder and let out a shiver. He looked over to Elena, who was tying her scarf around the snowman for a finishing touch.

"Looks like we've got a cold and tired little girl on our hands," she deduced.

He nodded. "Looks that way."

"Well I guess we'd better get inside and warmed up."

* * *

After a warm bath, Elena changed a sleepy Addie into some flannel pajamas and tucked her into bed for an afternoon nap. She put up very little protest, simply squeezing her doll in her arms and rolling over.

Dressed in her favorite pair of sweatpants, she plopped herself down on the couch next to Damon, who had changed into some dry clothes of his own. He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close as he flipped through channels with the remote in his other hand.

"Are you still upset about earlier, when Liam called?" she asked him, looking up to see his jaw tense from the mention of his name.

He kept his eyes focused on the TV screen in front of them. "A little."

"I'm sorry, Damon. I know it's a tricky situation. I just want to do what's best for everyone," she sighed.

"You don't need to apologize. I'm not pissed at you. I just hate that he gets to spend time with her so easily, all because I couldn't control my temper. Honestly, I blame myself. If I hadn't lost my cool, you could have told him to fuck off."

She snuggled in closer to him, curling her feet up underneath her. "And if I had done that, Addie may have resented me down the road for keeping them apart."

"He just doesn't deserve to see her," Damon said in frustration, as he shook his head with a huff. "He doesn't deserve her time or yours."

"I know."

Finally, he looked away from the TV and down to Elena. "And if we're being honest, I'm feeling a little threatened."

"Threatened?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Why?"

"What if everything goes well and they form some kind of relationship? Where does that leave me?" A hint of hurt flashed in his blue eyes. "What if something reignites between you and him? I'm worried I'll get pushed out and I don't want to lose you and Addie."

"Let's get one thing straight," she said, reaching up to touch his cheek. She stroked it lightly with her thumb to try to comfort him. "You are not going to get pushed out. You are not replaceable."

"Everyone is replaceable."

"Not you," she confessed. "Not to me."

Stretching up to kiss him, Elena's lips met his with a sense of urgency and passion. If she couldn't make him understand how much he meant to her through words, she'd have to show him.

He responded in kind, running his tongue along her lips until she opened for him. Their kiss deepened and he shifted her onto his lap so that she was straddling him, each leg on one side of his hips. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down onto him.

She was grateful for the friction as they continued to kiss, her hips rocking back and forth over him. She ground herself onto his erection, as she held nothing back. It felt good to be like this with him.

"Bedroom," he mumbled against her lips.

Panting, she pulled away from him and nodded. She started to climb off of him, but his arms snaked around her and picked her up instead as he stood from the couch. He was always carrying her around, always utilizing his powerful strength to his advantage.

When they got inside the bedroom, Damon slowly slid Elena back down to her feet and she reached around him to close the bedroom door softly. Then suddenly they were on each other again, nipping at skin and flinging off clothes haphazardly in anticipation of what was to come.

They stood, pressed against each other, now completely naked. The cold from the snow was long forgotten and the heat between them had caused Elena's skin to flush. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her.

"How do you want me?" she moaned as Damon ghosted kisses up and down her neck.

"Up against the wall," he answered, backing her up so that her ass pressed against a wall of their bedroom. He pinned her between it, his forearms coming to rest on either side of her head as his erection pressed against her stomach.

She felt like he'd captured her, like she was caged and wrapped up in everything that was Damon Salvatore. To be honest, she never wanted to escape. She craved the feel of his lips against. She felt on fire each time his fingertips touched her skin. When he was finally inside of her, she felt at ease. She felt comfort. She compared it to the feeling of finally coming home after a long, hard day. With him, like this, none of her worries mattered.

He pinned her wrists above her head with one hand as he drove into her slowly at first. She'd made it known how much she loved when he restrained her and took her however he wanted. She may have been a control freak in her everyday life, but she had no problem letting Damon inflict whatever kind of pleasure he wanted on her.

"You feel so fucking good," he growled into her ear as he rocked himself in and out in a steady rhythm. "I could be inside you forever."

"Mmm," she mumbled as he hit a particularly good spot. "Right there," she begged. "Don't stop doing that."

He hit the spot again, over and over. "Right there, huh?"

"Yes, please."

Letting out a self-satisfied grin, Damon kept that same angle but sped up the pace of his hips. He was driving into her so hard that her back slid up the wall with each thrust. Her legs were wrapped around him, bare feet digging into his ass in an attempt to hang on for dear life as he brought her to the brink of orgasm. She was close. He could tell by the blush on her cheeks and the way her fingers tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck. That was a good thing because the way she felt around him had him ready to explode at any moment.

"Elena, come for me," he demanded sternly. "Now."

Reaching down to rub circles on her clit, he was soon rewarded with the satisfying feeling of Elena pulsing around him. Her back arched, her arms tightened around his neck, and her mouth fell open in ecstasy as she came. Unable to hold on any longer, Damon followed with his own release. He pressed his forehead against hers as he emptied into her.

And when the two of them settled their breathing, he pulled out and lowered her back down onto her shaking legs. And it was still there. Despite their own insecurities and fears, it enveloped them.

Love. Messy, unwavering, continual, frustrating, maddening, confusing, beautiful love.

"When my legs start working again, I should go clean up." Elena's eyes were half open as she spoke, a gratified smile on her lips.

He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. "Lay down. I'll bring you a washcloth."

He disappeared into the bathroom as she settled herself on the bed and when he came back, he carefully and gently cleaned her up. At the time, it felt nice to be pampered and coddled so she let him take care of her. Honestly, she was too exhausted to protest anyway. When he was done, he laid down next to her and she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist.

"How much longer do you think we have before naptime is over?" he asked, his voice also laced with fatigue.

Elena reached across him to the nightstand and pawed at her phone, which she'd plugged in earlier to charge. She checked the time. "Maybe fifteen minutes?"

"Can we set an alarm for a ten minute power nap? I'm worn out."

She smiled and nodded. Once she was finished fiddling with her phone, she placed it back on the nightstand and snuggled into Damon's bare chest. It was mere seconds before the two of them fell asleep.

A few minutes later, her phone started to vibrate and ring loudly. She could vaguely hear it, but it was blaring in Damon's ear and he knew it wasn't her usual alarm ringtone. Someone was definitely calling her.

"Your phone," he groaned hazily, reaching over to snatch it for her. He'd hoped it was just her parents, maybe Matt or Tyler at the garage. He had his fingers crossed that it wasn't Liam again. To his surprise, it was none of them. "Agent Wilson?"

Elena grabbed the phone from his hand as she furrowed her eyebrows and swiped across the screen to answer it. "Hello?"

"Miss Gilbert, this is Agent Wilson. So sorry to bother you on a Saturday," he apologized, his tone very professional.

"Not a problem. Is everything," she paused for a moment, bracing for some bad news. "Is everything okay?"

Damon looked at her like he was trying to guess what the conversation was about, but he couldn't have possibly guessed. No one could have because it was the very last news Elena expected to hear.

* * *

"Have no fear! The babysitter is here!" Caroline squealed as she waltzed into Elena's house.

"The door was locked," Elena said, peeking her head around the corner from the living room into the foyer. She was in the middle of throwing on a chunky cardigan over her gray fitted t-shirt.

Caroline shrugged and closed the door behind her. "I used my key."

"Which is for emergencies only," Elena replied, cocking an eyebrow.

"Aunt Caroline!" Addie shrieked in excitement as she came barreling towards her. "Are we baking cookies tonight?"

"No cookies for dinner," Elena chastised before Caroline could answer. "There's a lasagne in the fridge that you can reheat."

"Cookies after dinner," Caroline whispered to Addie with a wink. "Ginger snaps sound good right about now, don't they?"

"I heard that," Elena spoke.

Caroline unbuttoned her coat, revealing her small baby bump. It pushed through the fabric of her sweater ever so slightly. She hung up her coat and kicked off her heeled boots.

"When will my feet start swelling?" she asked Elena. "I want to wear cute shoes for as long as I can."

"Wasn't until the third trimester with Addie. You might not be able to wear that engagement ring then either," Elena warned.

Caroline balked, staring down at the large diamond on her finger. "I'm never taking this off."

"We'll see," Elena chuckled, still in good spirits despite the fact that she was about to do something she really did not want to do.

Elijah had hinted that he knew where Klaus was hiding, but refused to divulge any information to anyone but Elena. After weeks of the FBI questioning him and the chances of catching Klaus dwindling, they were still getting nowhere. In a last ditch effort, Agent Wilson called Elena and asked if she would be alright with cooperating.

Elena immediately agreed. If Elijah knew where Klaus was hiding and all she had to do was talk to him to find out, it was well worth it to be able to put all of this behind them. Unfortunately, Damon wasn't feeling so optimistic about the whole thing. He was doubtful that she could actually handle seeing one of her captors again and he warned as much when he insisted on coming along with her. Luckily, Caroline was all too happy to babysit overnight as the two of them made the drive to where Elijah was being held in DC. She'd speak to him tomorrow morning.

Damon rolled a small suitcase with their things behind him as he walked into the living room. "Are we ready to go?" he asked, but really he was inquiring if Elena was sure she was ready for this.

"Are you sure you need to come with me?" she asked him. "I'm fine to make the drive by myself."

He gave her a look that silently asked her to stop fighting him on this. "I'm not worried about the drive."

"Alright," she nodded, taking a deep breath in. "Then I guess we're ready."

Addie stuck out her bottom lip. "Why can't I go?"

"Because Aunt Caroline wants to spend some time with you, Princess," Damon responded as he took a couple steps forward and picked her up. "Kiss before we leave?"

She happily complied, placing a kiss on Damon's awaiting cheek.

Elena reached out to take Addie from Damon's arms, settling her on her hip. "We'll be back tomorrow, okay? Kiss for me too?"

After saying goodbye to Addie for the night, double checking that Caroline had all emergency phone numbers (including the number for Addie's doctor, poison control, and Elena's parents), they made their way out to the Camaro. Damon packed away their suitcase in the trunk while Elena sat in the passenger seat and waited for the heat to kick in.

There was an aura of thick silence as Damon navigated their way out of town and onto the main highway. It wasn't like them to not have anything to say to each other, but he wasn't happy that she didn't want him there and she wasn't happy that he was treating her like a child who needed supervision. They'd both made their opinions known and in the end, Damon won.

"Are you hungry? We can stop for something on the way," Damon suggested as he tried to make conversation.

"I'm fine," was all she replied with.

Elena reached for the dial to turn the heat up and then she turned the radio to a classic rock station. She pressed her forehead up against the cold glass of the window and watched as they zoomed past cars and trees. She was absolutely pacifying Damon by letting him come with her, when instead she just wished he would have stayed home with Addie. If she couldn't handle this on her own, what was the point in all of those hours of therapy?

Her independent streak was rearing its ugly head. Over time, she'd allowed herself to depend on Damon a little more. It was a slow process in which she tentatively let go of control a little at a time. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to drop the ball, but he never did. But that didn't mean that she was prepared for him to be so protective over her. She'd been doing things on her own for so long and old habits weren't easy to break.

It was getting dark as Damon sped past the cars next to them, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that he thought he might leave an indention on it. Elena may have thought that she could handle all of this on her own, but he knew how overwhelming this was all going to be for her. Her nightmares had finally stopped, her life was returning back to normal. He didn't want her recovery to backslide and the only way he could help was to be there to support her.

But she'd made it clear that she didn't want him there, didn't need him there. Truth be told, those words cut deep. Damon had a desperate desire to be needed. He'd never felt like he really belonged anywhere until he met Elena and Addie. Now he was already struggling to figure how he fit in with Liam in the picture, and hearing Elena say that she could do something so monumental on her own played on his biggest insecurities. If Addie had Liam and Elena only needed herself, maybe he didn't really belong there after all.

After much silence, the signs for DC were quickly approaching. Damon cleared his throat and finally spoke. "I made a reservation for us at a hotel near the FBI headquarters. Figured a shower and good night's sleep would do us well before tomorrow."

"Thanks," Elena replied, still looking out the window.

He waited a little longer to see if she had anything else to say. She didn't. As he took the exit for their hotel, he spoke again. "So how long is this silent treatment going to last?"

"Until you stop treating me like I'm incapable of handling myself."

He sighed. "Elena, me wanting to be there for you has everything to do with how much I love you and nothing to do with what I think you're capable of."

She snapped her head around to finally look at him and she really wished she hadn't. He wore an expression of frustration and sadness. She did that to him. The argumentative words that were on the tip of her tongue suddenly seemed too harsh, so she just opted not to say anything else as they pulled into a parking spot.

He shifted the car into park and leaned back in the seat. Running a hand over his face, he turned to look back at her. "I thought we were done with this idea that you have to do everything alone. That doesn't mean you're incapable of doing it all. I know you can, but you don't have to. Let me be there for you, Elena."

Elena nodded, taking her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes. He may have been well intentioned, but that didn't mean he was right. She reached out her hand for his, resting them both on the gearshift. "Thank you for wanting to support me, but there are some things I need to do on my own for my healing process. I need to speak to Elijah alone tomorrow. Please understand that this is something that's important to me. You can wait outside the room if you want, but I need to go in alone."

He looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded and squeezed her hand in reassurance. He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss before turning off the car. "I'll grab the suitcase if you want to head on inside to check us in. It's under my name. Here's my credit card."

"I love you, Damon."

"I love you too, more than you know."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know how you all are feeling about this. Just to let you know what to expect, we probably have about 4-5 more regular chapters and then an epilogue. We're nearing the end here, but there's still lots of story left to pack into all of that.**

 **Reviews are welcome and encouraged. I'm a sucker for them. We're at 250 reviews right now and while that's probably an insignificant amount for some writers, it's monumental for me. Thank you all so much!**


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back with another (shorter) chapter. Don't let that fool you though. Even though it's short, it's definitely jam packed!**

 **My pre-reader is winterbabyalways and she's AMAZING. Seriously you guys, she's awesome.**

* * *

Hand in hand, Damon and Elena walked inside the large glass front doors of the FBI office early the next morning. After a pit stop at Starbucks on the way, they made the drive there in relative quiet. Elena's stomach had been too queasy to eat more than a couple bites of the croissant Damon bought her, but she'd managed to gulp down her Americano pretty quickly. She was choosing to blame the caffeine for the reason her hands were now jittery. In an attempt to calm her nerves, Damon let Elena drive the Camaro on the way there. It helped a little, but she still found that her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as they walked into the main lobby.

Agent Wilson was waiting for them there, dressed in a dark suit with a tie, his hands crossed behind his back. He waved and gave them a small smile as he saw them.

When they approached, he stretched his hand out in their direction. "Miss Gilbert, Mr. Salvatore, thank you for making the trip here on such short notice."

Elena let go of Damon's hand and accepted Agent Wilson's awaiting handshake. "Of course. Anything I can do to help."

"If you two will follow me please," Agent Wilson said as he turned around and started to head towards a wall full of elevators. He swiped his ID card on the wall next to one of them and waited for it to open.

The two of them trailed behind him and Elena found with each step, her heartbeat felt louder and louder in her chest. When they got on the elevator and the doors closed, her throat suddenly went dry. When the doors opened again on the 14th floor, she felt her chest start to tighten. She was no doubt about to have a panic attack.

Damon, who had been trying to keep an eye on her all morning, noticed the look in Elena's eyes as they stepped off the elevator. He placed a comforting hand on the small of her back, but she barely even noticed. She was panicking. "Agent Wilson, could we actually have a minute?" he asked, turning to the man who was already a few steps in front of them.

He nodded. "Take your time. Bathroom is down the hall to the right if you need it. My office is right through that door so head in there when you're ready."

After Agent Wilson disappeared behind the door of his office, Elena doubled over in the empty hallway. She started gasping for air, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. No matter how deeply she tried to breathe, she couldn't take in enough oxygen. She couldn't slow down her heart. She couldn't keep her body from freaking out like her mind had been all morning.

"Elena, hey. Look at me. Look at me," Damon pleaded. He moved to stand in front of her and then crouched down in his knees in an attempt to see her face. "I'm here. Everything is fine. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you."

She felt like someone was twisting a knife through her stomach. How could this be possible? She'd made so much progress with Dr. Fell and yet she suddenly felt like that terrified and defeated woman back in Europe. The feeling of inadequacy added to her feeling of panic and made her cry harder. She could hear Damon's voice, but she couldn't make out the words he was saying. It was like she was stuck in a tunnel and he was shouting at her from the outside.

Quickly realizing that his current tactic wasn't helping, Damon scooped Elena up into his arms and walked them both down the hall to the bathrooms. Thankful that they were single occupancy, he fumbled with the doorknob of one before nudging it open the rest of the way with his boot. All the while, Elena was sobbing in his arms.

The door shut behind him and Damon took a look around for a place to put Elena. Everything was clean and there was an overwhelming scent of lemons wafting through the air. Still, he didn't feel right sitting her down on anything in there. He looked down at her, suddenly realizing that she had buried her face against his chest. Her tears were soaking through his shirt, but her breathing seemed to be evening out just a little.

"Elena?"

"I'm so weak, Damon." Her voice was muffled against the fabric of his shirt. "I can't do this. That man kept me captive for nearly a week. He drugged me. He blindfolded me. He lugged me all around Europe. I'm so…I'm so scared."

He kissed the top of her head gently and nuzzled against the softness of her hair. "You're not weak. You've come so far in such a short amount of time. If that's not strength, I don't know what is. And as for being scared, I'm here for you. Okay?"

Instead of an answer, she merely nodded her head.

"I'm here for you. I am here for you. Do you believe me?" he asked her again, more vehemently.

"Yes," she replied weakly. She shifted her head to look up at him. His blue eyes were laced with concern and care. When words ceased to work, the feeling of being held in his arms offered her a kind of comfort and security that she'd rarely felt in her lifetime. "I don't want you to put me down, but you should."

"You're not heavy at all. I can carry you in there if you think it'll help," he smirked down at her.

She laughed as she sniffled. "I think I'd better walk, Rambo. Thanks."

"If you insist."

He shifted her to place her down onto her feet. Her legs still felt shaky from all of the adrenaline, but she found that she could stand just fine. She took small steps over to the plain mirror that was attached to the bathroom wall and looked at her appearance. Her eyes were red, swollen and puffy around the edges of them. Her cheeks were still pretty flush. She turned on the faucet and splashed some cool water onto her face.

"You look beautiful," Damon said from behind her. He wasn't just saying it because she needed to hear it. He was also saying it because it was true. Even when she was reeling from a panic attack, she was absolutely breathtaking. She was more beautiful than any other woman he'd ever been with. When it came to Elena, no one else even compared.

Elena turned around to look at him as she swiped at the bottom of one of her eyes. "I look awful."

"Would I lie to you about something like that?"

"I guess not," she sighed. She pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you."

Damon returned the hug of course. He held her tightly, not wanting to let go. Whatever was waiting for her outside the haven of this small bathroom, he didn't want any of it to harm her.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Elena had pulled herself together enough to sit and wait patiently in an interrogation room while Agent Wilson brought Elijah in to talk to her. Damon was pacing frantically outside the doorway. She could hear his nervous footsteps. Still, she was sticking with her original plan of doing this alone. Even if it hadn't been important to her recovery, Elijah had requested to speak to her alone and she knew that was the only way she'd be getting any information out of him.

Sitting in Agent Wilson's office earlier, he walked her through all the protocols. Elijah would be cuffed at both the wrists and ankles. His wrist cuffs would be connected to the steel table between them, which was bolted securely to the floor. Agent Wilson would be on the other side of a one-sided mirror and would rush in at the first sign of trouble. If Elena at any time felt like she needed to end the conversation, all she had to say was pineapple and Elijah would be immediately escorted back to his cell. There were many precautions taken to ensure her safety and yet none of them protected her from the emotional turmoil she knew this might cause.

The door swung open and Elijah, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, was escorted inside by Agent Wilson. His lips tugged up into a smile when he looked at her and it made Elena squirm uncomfortably in her seat. She could hear the shuffle of his ankle chains as he moved towards her. Agent Wilson pulled out the chair across the table and Elijah slowly sat down. He offered his hands up, allowing his wrist cuffs to be attached to the table. Clearly this wasn't his first time in this room. He knew the drill.

"You alright, Miss Gilbert?" Agent Wilson spoke.

Elena swallowed thickly and nodded. She'd have to be alright. She didn't have much of a choice.

"I'm not far if you need me," he reassured her before turning to Elijah and giving him a threatening glare. "Really, I'm not far at all."

Elijah chuckled at the threat. "Oh, calm down. We're just going to have a conversation, right Elena?"

She nodded with false confidence, not willing to let him know that he was already intimidating her. All too soon, Agent Wilson was closing the door behind him and she was left alone in the small room with Elijah mere feet away from her.

He stared at her curiously, leaning back in his metal chair and cocking his head to the side. It felt like he was studying her, looking for something. Elena had no idea what.

"So, you wanted me here," she began, still using that false confidence to her advantage. She placed her hands on the table in front of her and laced her fingers together. "I'm here. Talk."

"I'm sensing a lot of hostility coming from you, Elena," he replied, his eyes boring into hers. "Let's get that out of the way so that we can begin to progress."

She didn't want to talk about any of that. She came here to get information out of him and that's all. Discussing anything further than Klaus' whereabouts was not something she desired to do. "Let's stick to why you asked me here," she told him firmly.

"Once I tell you what I agreed to tell you, you'll leave and the FBI will lock me up and throw away the key. I have some things I need to say while I have your attention." He cracked another smile that made her uncomfortable. "Humor me."

For a moment, she briefly considered uttering pineapple and just calling the whole thing off. As she chewed on her bottom lip and thought about what to say next, Elijah leaned forward onto the table and pressed on.

"You're upset because you feel as if I have wronged you, correct?" he asked.

"You violated me," she shot back, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He let out a laugh, his head tipping back as he did so. When his gaze settled back onto her, he spoke again. "Elena, I protected you. If not for me, you would have been in much worse shape. I was the only thing between you and honest to goodness true violation from my brother and his associate. They each wanted a piece of you within the first day."

"You drugged me," she accused. She tried to push any thoughts of how much worse it could have been aside.

"For your own safety. If you'd been awake, you may have struggled more and injured yourself," he countered.

"You manipulated me into cooperating with your brother's insane list of demands," she told him.

"Again, to protect you. Had you not done so, I would have had no leverage with which to argue for you to remain unharmed and untouched. He needed to see the value in that. Elena, I'm not a bad man. I'm simply," he paused, trying to think of the words. "How should I put this? I like to look out for my family. I knew Niklaus was going to do this regardless and I wanted to make sure that he didn't act on impulse and do something even more stupid."

Elena scoffed, looking away from him and concentrating on the white concrete wall next to her. "If you're so honorable, you could have stopped him from taking me in the first place."

"Have you met my brother? When he has his mind set on something, there is no stopping him."

"Like a whiny petulant child who lost their new shiny toy," she bit out.

"Niklaus is the baby of the family and he's grown accustomed to getting his way. He does not do well with losing or being told no. I asked you here, first and foremost, to extend an apology," Elijah calmly spoke. "I know it doesn't undo anything or make things any better for you, but I needed you to know that I am truly sorry for what happened to you and your friend."

She looked back towards him and his eyes were softer than a few moments ago, almost pleading with her to say that she forgave him. He looked riddled with guilt and it would have been far too easy to relieve him of that guilt so quickly.

"I can't forgive you, but I can try to sympathize with where your intentions were coming from. I'm very protective of my family as well, so I understand in some twisted way," Elena told him.

Elijah nodded. "That's a start. Thank you, Elena."

"So did I really drive all this way just to hear an apology or do you know where your brother is?" With that out of the way, she steered the conversation back into more comfortable territory.

"I know where he might be."

"And you're willing to tell me?" she arched an eyebrow. After all that talk of protecting family, she had her doubts that he'd give up Klaus so easily.

He nodded again. "Provided the authorities do everything in their power to bring him in safely, yes. Niklaus is troubled. He is on a downward spiral. I fear that without some sort of professional help, he'll destroy himself. I was unable to convince him to do so after you were rescued so it is my hope that he will get the help he needs in custody."

"I can't make any promises on behalf of the FBI," Elena backtracked.

"I'm aware. Agent Wilson has given me his word that he will do everything he can to help my brother."

"Okay then," Elena breathed out, ready to finally get down to business. "Where do you think Klaus is?"

Elijah lowered his voice and tilted his chin downward. Even with Agent Wilson on the other side of the two-way mirror, it still seemed like he was entrusting Elena with a secret. "My family owns a home in Rio de Janeiro. It was purchased by a dummy corporation that runs its funds through a Swiss bank account. It's practically untraceable and the Mikaelson name is not attached to it in any way, shape, or form. But it is ours. I believe that he's there. Niklaus doesn't do well being on the run. He has a taste for opulence so it's unlikely that he's hiding out in a seedy motel somewhere. He's likely lying on the beach there, drowning in cocaine and tequila."

She leaned back in her chair, speechless that he'd actually given her any kind of useful information. Finally she found some words. "Thank you."

After a few more seconds, Agent Wilson came in through the door with a pen and a pad of paper. He wasted no time with pretense before he started to question Elijah. "What's the address, Mikaelson?"

Calmly, Elijah spoke the address slowly so that it could be written down. "We have a deal, Agent Wilson. You'll help him, not hurt him. Correct?"

He nodded his head. "To the best of my ability. But I will not compromise my agents. If he starts shooting, we have to shoot back."

"Understood," Elijah replied with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

Agent Wilson turned to Elena, who still sat there in her chair with her hands politely folded in her lap. She wasn't sure what else to say. Did she even need to say anything else?

"Thank you for making the trip, Miss Gilbert. Hopefully this lead will help us all put this case behind us," he told her.

She nodded. "Of course. Glad I could help."

As Agent Wilson began to unlocked Elijah's wrist cuffs from the table, she caught his eyes one more time. They were full of regret and she found that a tiny piece of her heart actually did feel sorry for him. In his own warped way, he really thought that he'd been helping the situation by being involved in her disappearance. And honestly, maybe he had. Maybe if he hadn't been there, things would have been much worse. It didn't excuse his actions, but it did explain them. That was the best amount of closure she could have asked for from him.

* * *

"You sure you're alright?" Damon asked for the tenth time as they drove down the highway back home.

"Honestly, I think I'm okay," Elena breathed out. She placed her hand over his on the gearshift and stroked it lightly with her thumb.

He didn't want to pry, lest it brought up something unpleasant. Although Elena had emerged from that room looking and sounding fine, he had to be sure. After the panic attack earlier, he was still worried. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Klaus is probably hiding out in Rio," she told him. "They have a house there that the family owns, but it isn't linked to their name at all. That's where Elijah thinks he is."

He glanced at her as he guided the car into the right lane. "Anything else you want to talk about?"

Elena smiled, merely shook her head no, and sighed.

"Alright then. Let's get home to Addie," he added.

And that was the end of it. He wasn't going to press any further. It wasn't his job to parent her. It was his job to support her, and if she wanted to tell him more later on, he'd be there for her. Just like he was there for her in that hallway earlier in the day.

It was something that he never thought he'd find, but what he had with Elena was real love. And though it took him until that morning to realize it, real love meant that he was still going to be there in the dark times, during the panic attacks. Even if she didn't want him there. Even if she told him that she didn't need him there. It was still his job.

They drove along for a while with the radio quietly filling up the space in the car. Classic rock, like always. One song blurred into another and another. When it switched over to Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney, the lyrics seemed to flood into Elena's soul. She closed her eyes, propped her bare feet up onto the dashboard, and leaned back in the seat, listening.

If there was ever a love song she related to, it was this. To her, love was many things. Astonishment, fear, hunger, need. She felt it all when she looked at Damon. After speaking with Elijah, she found that she felt a bit lighter. She felt a bit more alive and a little more capable to being able to love him the way he deserved. She felt healthier and happier. This calmness, this stillness of riding along down the highway with the man she loved sitting next to her was something she wished she could bottle up and save.

The feeling would probably be fleeting. When they returned home to the land of jobs and responsibilities, it would probably vanish. And that's why she didn't want to dwell on her conversation with Elijah. She wanted to bask in the afterglow of it instead, there in that Camaro with Damon.

When the song ended and she opened her eyes, she took a look over to the occupied driver's seat. Damon's eyes were flitting between her and the open road in front of them, a calm and peaceful look on his face to match her own.

"You're so beautiful," he told her sincerely. "Do you know that?"

"Oh, don't be so cheesy," she laughed as she playfully slapped his bicep. She winced a little at the impact, his muscles unfortunately unyielding against her knuckles.

Instead of laughing along, Damon remained serious. "I mean it, Elena. You're beautiful."

"Damon, you literally hooked up with models before me," Elena replied with a roll of her eyes. "I know I'm not hideous or anything, but in comparison to what you're used to-"

"If you want to speak in comparison," he interjected. "There is no comparison. Remember when you had that cold right before Thanksgiving? Your nose was all red on the tip and you were couch ridden for a whole weekend? Even then, in sweatpants and your old high school t-shirt with your hair piled on top of your head and surrounded by Kleenex, you lit up the room more than any model ever could."

"Well, you're biased because you love me," she said as she blushed from his words.

"Maybe I am because I'm so in love with you." Damon took the exit for their home, but he pulled off on the shoulder of it quickly instead of continuing on.

"We're almost home," she whined. "What are you doing?"

After putting the car in park, he unhooked his seatbelt so he could turn to look at her. He was smiling now, his heart beating a mile a minute both from the adorably agitated look she was shooting his way and the words that were resting there on the tip of his tongue. Even still, he'd never been so sure of anything in his entire life.

"Seriously Damon, what's going on with you? You've got that goofy smirk that means you've just had what you think is a brilliant idea. And I hate to break it to you, but they're normally not brilliant ideas," she spoke as she narrowed her eyes at him.

He laughed a little. The sass. Oh, the sass in this woman. It constantly kept him on his toes.

"And now you're laughing-"

"Let's do it, Elena. Let's just go get married right now." The words tumbled out of him quickly and excitedly.

Now it was her turn to laugh, her hands flying in every which direction. "Are you crazy? We can't just run off and get married! What about Addie? My parents, your dad, your brother? We can't make that big of a decision without them!"

Her protests didn't wipe the ear to ear smile off his face at all as he leaned towards her and planted a kiss that all but silenced her tirade. After a few minutes of mumbling against his lips, she gave in and started to kiss him back. When she appeared calmer, he pulled away.

"Now hear me out on this," he told her. "I want to marry you and I hope I'm not being presumptuous in assuming that you feel the same?"

"Well no, but-"

"Let me finish," he laughed as he cut her off before she could start. "So why are we waiting any longer? Do you think our feelings will change in a year or two?"

She shook her head no, biting her bottom lip to keep from interrupting.

"If you want a big wedding, then I can give you a big wedding. But I don't want to wait anymore, Elena."

"Do I look like the kind of girl who has been planning her wedding day since she was five?" Elena laughed. "I just want our family there."

"So next weekend? The Saturday before Christmas Eve?" he beamed.

"This is so impulsive. I don't do impulsive," she argued.

"I like impulsive," he countered.

Elena smiled and nodded. "If we can find someone to marry us on such short notice, then let's do it next weekend."

They launched towards each other for another kiss, this one more fiery than the last as their tongues twisted and tangled together. Elena wrapped her arms around Damon to pull him closer and they made out like teenagers for over half an hour, well past when the windows fogged up.

* * *

When Damon and Elena finally made it home, Addie greeted them with hugs and kisses as soon as they walked into the door. Unfortunately, Damon had to meet Alaric for a training session almost as soon as they got home that afternoon. He made sure to put Addie down for a nap just before he left. They'd agreed to tell her tonight after dinner.

Once he was off to the gym, Elena and Caroline sat at the kitchen table chatting.

Caroline munched on a ginger snap, the only thing that seemed to help her nausea these days, as Elena sipped on a glass of red wine. Finally after many complaints from Bonnie about not having at least a little alcohol stashed away, she'd started picking up a few bottles of wine here and there at the grocery store. It was just one of the many way she was starting to relax a little more.

"Thank you again for babysitting last minute," Elena spoke before taking a sip from her glass.

Caroline eyed her. "Very rude to drink in front of a pregnant lady. God, I miss alcohol."

"It's worth it, Care."

"Oh, I know. Believe me. I'm already starting to feel attached to this little alien," Caroline replied.

Elena snorted from laughter. "Don't call it an alien!"

"That's what it looked like on the sonogram!"

"When that baby comes out and you hold it for the first time, you won't care if it's the ugliest baby in the world. You'll love it no matter what," she told her.

Caroline smiled and overdramatically gasped. "Are you saying my baby won't be the cutest baby ever?"

"Um, hello? Did you see Addie as a baby? No one can beat that head full of hair and that never ending smile. Cutest. Baby. Ever." Elena beamed with pride, the way she always did whenever she talked about her daughter.

"I think this alien might give baby Addie a run for the money." Caroline rubbed her growing stomach as she popped another ginger snap into her mouth.

"Care," Elena said, lowering her voice. "I'm going to tell you something and you are not allowed to freak out. Okay?"

Caroline nodded, her mouth full of cookies.

"Okay," Elena prepared. "Damon asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"He what? You what?" Caroline screeched, cookie crumbs spewing from her mouth onto the table.

"Shhh," Elena shushed her. "Addie doesn't know yet. It literally just happened on the way home from DC."

Caroline stood up from her chair, dropped the bag of cookies onto the table, walked around the table and bent down to hug Elena tightly. Then something unpredictable and unexpected happened. Caroline started sobbing into Elena's shoulder. Bewildered, Elena comforted her with a soothing hand on the back. She was utterly confused as to why Caroline was crying? Was she upset that Damon didn't talk to her about it first? Was she mad that Elena hadn't called right away with the news?

When Caroline finally pulled away, she stood up straight and swiped at the tears underneath her eyes. "Stupid pregnancy hormones," she said with a shake of her head. "Seriously though Elena, this is great news. I'm so happy for you guys. Well, and for Addie. This will be good for all of you! Have you thought about a date yet?"

"Yeah, we were thinking next weekend," Elena smiled awkwardly.

"What? I can't help you plan a wedding in a less than a week!" Caroline exclaimed, her hands flying to her hair. "We need to dress shopping, secure a venue, get to a florist, find someone to marry you, send out invitations! Oh god! The guest list! You don't even have a guest list yet!"

Elena chuckled. "Sit down before that baby tries to vacate the premise early, crazy pants."

Caroline rubbed her belly again and sat down, huffing as she did so.

"We want to get married in my parent's backyard. And we just want our family and closest friends there. No big ceremony or reception, no poufy dress, no obligation to get us gifts. We just want to say some vows in front of our loved ones and then maybe have dinner inside afterwards with everyone. That's all," Elena told her. As she described the brief plans she and Damon had excitedly discussed the rest of the way home, the same sense of calm and peace welled up in her heart.

"That's it?" Caroline asked with raised eyebrows. "A backyard wedding and dinner in your parents' dining room."

Elena nodded happily.

"Can you, me, and Bonnie at least go dress shopping?"

"Yes," Elena gave in.

Caroline excitedly cheered.

"But no petticoats or uncomfortable corsets!" she clarified. "I still want to look like me."

"Deal!" Caroline fished her phone from her purse that was hanging on the back of the chair. "Let's call everyone and tell them! Who do you want to call first?"

And that was exactly why she told Caroline first. Telling Caroline made the whole decision feel less dream-like and more real. Her action-oriented personality ensured that Elena would no doubt have a personalized checklist waiting for her within the next 24 hours.

But first, they made phone calls. Initially, Elena called her parents. Her mom's excitement was palpable over the phone and they agreed to host without hesitation. Her dad muttered something about being right under his breath. Next, Jeremy didn't answer the phone, which was so typical of someone his age. She resorted to a video announcement sent to him via Snapchat. At least she knew he'd check that.

Caroline wanted to call and tell Stefan, but Elena made her promise to let Damon drop that bomb because he'd also have to tell Giuseppe and who knows how that conversation was going to go. So they moved on to Bonnie next and when they broke the news to her over Facetime, she literally fell off of her chair before she started rambling on about a bachelorette party. No way was Elena agreeing to that.

Finally, they called Tyler and Matt. Tyler, other than pouting about not having a plus one, was genuinely happy to hear the news. Matt seemed apprehensive. His congratulations seemed strained and forced. Elena suspected it had something to do with the time they'd spent together after Addie was born, but she couldn't dwell on it. Even still, Matt agreed to attend and support them.

That was the last of the phone calls. They'd agreed to let Damon tell his father, Stefan, Enzo, Rose, and Alaric. In fact, Elena was pretty sure he'd shared the news with Alaric the second he got to the gym. If it were at all possible, Damon seemed more excited about this whole idea than she was.

All at once, Caroline gathered her things to head home, Addie woke up from her nap, and a sweaty Damon walked into through the front door.

Caroline flung her arms around Damon and whispered congratulations in his ear so that Addie wouldn't overhear. She didn't want to spill the beans before they were ready to tell her. When she pulled away from him, she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Ugh, you stink."

"I was just sweating for about two hours straight so that makes sense," Damon chuckled. "And don't you have some kind of sense of super smell because of that kid you're growing in your stomach?"

She glanced down at her stomach and laughed. "Yeah. I'm basically a superhero now. My name is Incubator Woman."

"I look forward to reading your comic book series," he smirked.

Elena walked into the foyer with Addie on her hip. "Tell Aunt Caroline goodbye," she whispered to her daughter.

"Love you, Aunt Caroline," Addie mumbled, still a little groggy from her nap.

"Love you too, little one," Caroline cooed. She planted a kiss on Addie's forehead and readjusted her purse on her shoulder before buttoning up her coat. She looked over to Elena. "Shopping. You. Me. Bonnie. Tomorrow after work."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Fine."

* * *

"How's your dinner, Addie?" Elena asked as she sat at the kitchen table with her plate of roast and veggies in front of her.

Addie was strapped into her highchair, stabbing at the pieces of potato on her plate with a fork. She was trying her best with utensils, finally getting the hang of it after months of Elena's insistence.

Damon was quietly digging into his own plate, seemingly starving after whatever gruelling exercise Alaric had subjected him to. He had barely looked up since she placed the roast in front of him, except when he got up to get a second plate for himself.

"Good, Momma. Potatoes are my favorite!" Addie told her.

"I'm glad," Elena smiled. "Make sure you eat some meat too, okay? So you can grow up big and strong?"

Addie nodded and stabbed her fork into a piece of roast that Elena had pre-cut for her. She popped it into her mouth proudly.

Finally looking up from his cleared plate, Damon spoke. "We missed you so much this weekend, Princess. Didn't we, Elena?"

"We sure did," Elena nodded. "But I know you had fun with Aunt Caroline."

"I did! We made cookies and played with my dolls and watched cartoons!" Addie's face lit up.

"That's great," Damon smiled back. "What kind of cookies?"

"Snickerdoodles." Addie had eaten about half of the food on her plate, which was actually good compared to how much she normally ate for dinner. At this point, she was just pushing it around with her small fork.

"You all done with dinner?" Elena asked.

Addie nodded so Elena proceeded to clear everyone's plates while Damon unhooked the highchair. He and Addie settled in on the couch together while Elena loaded the dishwasher.

Nervous about how her daughter would react to their announcement, Elena hadn't eaten very much for dinner so she was sure to stick any leftovers into the fridge in case she regained her appetite later. She loaded the last of their plates and cups before turning the dishwasher on and joining them in the living room.

Damon had placed Addie on his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her. The TV was tuned into the Disney Channel and Addie giggled as one of the TV characters tripped down some steps and fell. Elena sat down and leaned her head against Damon's firm shoulder. She stared at the screen with them, trying to relax a little in the quiet of her family. It was a nice moment and she was grateful for the comfort amongst the rest of the crazy in their lives.

When the TV show ended, Elena lifted her head and gave Damon a look to let him know it was time to tell Addie. He picked up the remote and turned off the TV then shifted the toddler in his lap so that she could see Elena.

"It's not bedtime yet," Addie protested. "Please, Momma. Ten more minutes?"

Elena reached out to brush a stray curl away from her daughter's face. "Munchkin, we want to talk to you about something."

"Am I in trouble? I promise I was really good when you were gone!" she whined.

This elicited a chuckle from Damon. "We know you were. You aren't in trouble."

"Addie, how would you like it Damon officially became a part of our family?" Elena asked quietly.

Addie smiled. "He already is, Momma."

"Well yes, but Damon and I want to get married. What do you think about that?"

Addie thought about it for a few seconds. She scrunched her little face up in contemplation and so Elena and Damon merely held their breaths while they waited for her response. It seemed like forever and Addie still hadn't said anything.

"Would it be okay if I married your mom?" Damon asked her tenderly.

"Well, if you do, will you be my dad?" Addie asked, looking up at him.

Damon looked a little crushed as he answered her. "Um, no. No, Princess. It's not that simple."

"Addie, remember? Your dad's name is Liam," Elena clarified.

Addie shrugged. "Well my friend, Isaac, his momma and daddy are married so I just thought that's what mommas and daddies did."

"Sometimes they do," she explained. "Sometimes they marry other people. There are a lot of different types of families. Some kids have two moms or two dads. Some have both. Some just have one parent or maybe just grandparents to take care of them. You've got a whole list of people that help take care of you. Aunts and uncles, Grandma and Grandpa, me, Damon, and maybe even your dad. How lucky is that?"

The little girl nodded her head and crawled from Damon's lap over to Elena's. She leaned up to whisper quietly into her mother's ear. "If you guys get married, what do I call him?"

Elena pulled away, laughed, and looked at Damon. "Her biggest concern is what she supposed to call you."

Addie blushed a little, unusual behavior. She was never one to be shy. In fact, she was normally the kid who made fast friends with everyone she met.

"You can call me whatever you want," Damon told her.

"Well some kids have two dads, right?" she asked the both of them. "That's what Momma just said."

"Yes, that's true," Elena confirmed.

"Then I want to call you Dad," Addie told him. "And Liam can also be Dad."

"Two dads?" Elena asked.

Addie smiled. "Two dads."

* * *

 **A/N: So, I tend to bring bits and pieces of my own life into my writing. Cool story - my own proposal story was much like DE's here. I'm an introvert and I do not like being the center of attention at all so my husband respected my wishes. He asked me to marry him when we were home alone, in the hallway of our apartment, and it was a simple question followed by my simple answer. No epic speech. No hidden photographers. None of our families jumping out from behind furniture or whatever. Sometimes I think those kinds of proposals get underrrated or portrayed as unromantic, but I think it was perfect for us.**

 **On a serious note - I live in North Carolina & many parts of our state were hit hard on Friday & Saturday by Hurricane Matthew. I have family in Greenville who will be without power for at least 5 more days. I have friends in Raleigh who had massive flooding in their neighborhoods. I'm thankful that's the extent of our worries because I realize many people in Haiti did not survive the storm. If any of you were affected by the storm, my thoughts are with you. 3**

 **Thoughts on the chapter? Do we semi-forgive Elijah for what he did? How are we feeling about DE's quickie wedding?**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: I'm sorry! There was a lot of pressure to get this one right! Also, I just resigned from my job for a new job and I've been busy tying up lose ends!**

 **But, here it is.**

* * *

Standing in her childhood bedroom, Elena stared into the full length mirror as Bonnie finished braiding her hair for her. The low fishtail braid draped over her right shoulder and while it was formal enough to satisfy Caroline, it was still casual enough that Elena didn't smell like hairspray or have a million bobby pins stick her in the head.

Caroline was busy in the backyard bossing around Matt, Tyler, and Enzo. They'd been charged with helping to set up the small amount of chairs and ensure that everything else was accounted for and in its place. Bonnie and Elena could hear her through the bedroom window telling Matt to place the flowers in exactly the right place.

Bonnie took a step back and eyed Elena's hair. With a nod of approval, she grabbed her mimosa from the nearby dresser and took a huge chug of it. She handed Elena her own untouched drink, which she nervously held in her hand as she continued to look in the mirror.

"You're freaking out a little, aren't you?" Bonnie asked her.

Elena nodded. "This is a big deal, Bonnie. And I never do things this impulsive."

"Well we're all here to support you and Damon. Personally, I think you're crazy if you don't go ahead and marry him. He's hot. He loves you. He loves Addie. Did I mention that he's crazy hot?" Bonnie smiled at her.

Elena look toward her friend and laughed.

"Seriously though, if you're unsure that you want to marry him, then I'd support that too. Whatever makes you happy, Elena," Bonnie told her.

All doubts were washed out of her mind when the bedroom door cracked open and Damon poked his head in. His blue eyes lit up when he saw her and he gave her a smirk that made her blush and glance down at her feet. As he cautiously stepped inside the room, Bonnie turned to notice him and she quickly began jabbing at him with her hands to get him back out into the hallway.

"Shoo! You're not supposed to see her yet!" she yelled out to him. Her efforts were in vain as she barely budged him from where he was standing, eyes focused on his future wife, mesmerized by how beautiful she looked.

"It's okay, Bonnie," Elena laughed. "I mean, I wouldn't call this a traditional wedding day or anything. He can stay. Actually, would you go check on Addie for me? Make sure Caroline isn't using her as child labor out there?"

Bonnie huffed as she strode towards the exit, her heels clicking against the hardwood floors. "Fine, but all this bad luck is on you guys."

The door clicked close behind her and the two of them were left alone in relative silence. The air crackled with anticipation, excitement, and nervousness all at the same time. Damon Salvatore in a suit was a fantasy that she rarely got to see and she wanted to savor every last drop of him as he stood a few feet away from her, but Elena's fingertips were burning to touch him. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't take it anymore.

Setting down her drink on the dresser, she took a small step towards him. He took several larger steps towards her and their bodies crashed into each other in a frenzy. All too soon, she was reaching for the belt buckle of his pants as he trailed wet kisses up and down her neck. He picked her up and set her gently on top of the dresser so that she could wrap her legs around his waist and then she felt his hands slide over the fabric of her cream dress to the hem on her thighs. Suddenly, he was hiking it up around her waist so that his fingers could touch her between her legs.

They'd yet to speak to each other, but each knew what the other one needed in that moment. They needed each other. They needed to be together, to know that they were in this for the long haul. As Damon pushed her underwear aside, he dove two fingers into her and curled them upwards the way he knew she loved. Elena moaned and threw her head back, but she was desperate for more. She needed to really feel him.

She reached between them to finish pulling his pants down when they were interrupted by a banging sound coming from the closed bedroom door. The banging was followed by a familiar voice.

"Can you at least wait until we get you guys hitched?" Caroline yelled. "You're like a couple of hormonal teenagers!"

Damon cracked a smirk and looked towards the door, his hair a mess from the way Elena had been sliding her fingers through it. "This coming from the girl who got knocked up just from my brother looking at her!"

"If you mess up her makeup, dress, or hair, I'll unleash my pregnant lady hormones all over you!" Caroline yelled back. She hit her fist a couple more times on the door for emphasis. "I don't care who you beat up for a living. You haven't faced my wrath yet!"

Elena let out a laugh and quickly covered her mouth with her hand so that Caroline wouldn't hear her, but that wasn't exactly helpful.

"I hear you giggling, Elena Marie Gilbert! Ten minutes until show time. You got that? Fix yourselves and get down here!" With that, the sound of Caroline's heels got fainter as she made her way back down the hallway so she could disappear downstairs to order some more people around. It was, after all, her specialty.

Damon took a couple steps back and offered a hand to Elena so that she could easily hop down from the dresser. She walked over to the mirror and started to readjust her dress and hair as he righted his suit pants and belt buckle. When they were all put together, he stepped behind her and laced an arm around her waist then rested his chin on top of her head.

"You look stunning, if it isn't obvious," he told her as they stared into the mirror together.

Elena smiled. The dress she'd settled on hugged her curves tightly, the way Damon preferred. The hem stopped mid-thigh, but it maintained a little modesty and warmth with the long sleeves that covered her arms. The entire dressed had a lace overlay. It was modern, but classic. Beautiful, but uncomplicated. Both sensual and demure. It embodied every part of their relationship.

"You're even more handsome in a suit that I remember," she replied. "Are you nervous?"

"Not really," he shrugged, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones in their mirrored reflection. "I had a minor heart palpitation earlier when I thought I lost your ring, but we found it and then Ric filled me full of bourbon to keep me calm. What about you? How's those nerves, beautiful?"

"A lot better now that you're here," Elena confessed. "I think I'm just nervous about getting married, period. It's a big step. It's a lot easier knowing that I'm marrying you though."

"You're right. It's a huge step," he responded cautiously.

"But I'm sure about it," she clarified. She turned to face him and looked up into his eyes as she let her arms drape over his shoulder. She gently played with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I love you, Damon Antonio Salvatore, in a way that I've never loved anyone."

He smirked at her and that smirk made her wish they had more time before they had to be presentable in front of people. As good as he looked in his suit, she knew what he looked like without it and she was already fantasizing about drooling over his naked body later on tonight.

A soft knock came from the other side of the door and while Damon braced himself to be on the receiving end of another Caroline lecture, Elena laughed and welcome the guest in.

The door swung open and Miranda walked in with Addie clutching at her hand. Addie's flower girl dress was cream, the same color as Elena's, with a pink sash around her waist. Bonnie had curled her usually unruly hair into little ringlets. Her pink dress shoes made a sound as she walked across the floor.

"Are we getting married or what?" Addie asked, smiling up at the both of them.

"She's getting anxious," Miranda winked. "And she's not the only one."

Smiling, Elena held out her arms and Addie let go of her grandmother's hand to go running into them. The force of it made Elena wobble on her heels, but she recovered. When she stood up and balanced Addie on her hip, the two of them looked over at Damon.

"Well ladies, I'm ready if you are," he said, pushing his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. He waited for the two of them to walk in front of him to head downstairs.

Elena took one step, then turned and held out her free hand to Damon. "Well let's get the whole family down there," she told him.

Perfectly content, he took her offered hand and walked down the large staircase with the three generations of Gilbert women with him.

* * *

Thank goodness for the plentiful heat lamps surrounding everyone. It kept the December chill from being unbearable. Still, it was a relatively short ceremony. Without an official wedding party, the only processional was Addie throwing her flower petals down the short aisle between the chairs in the backyard.

After that, Grayson walked down with his arm linked with Elena's. She was beaming, the light from the sunset shining through her hair as she walked slowly towards Damon. Even more sure with each footstep, she kept her eyes focused on him. In a few short minutes, he would be her husband and she had no more doubts or worries about it.

He was floored. It didn't matter that he'd seen her minutes earlier. Hell, it didn't matter that he'd touched her inappropriately not that long ago. The sight of her walking towards him dressed in white had his stomach doing all kinds of gymnastics. Elena Gilbert was about to become his partner, his wife, the mother of his children. She seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace towards him and it took pretty much all of his control not to just run over and scoop her up into his arms then and there.

Finally, when he thought his feet couldn't be still for even a second longer, she reached where he was standing with the minister. Thank God they'd been able to find one on such short notice. Damon was paying him a handsome fee to be here. It just went to show that money talks, even to the highly religious. And while Elena's parents had really wanted them to married by a minister, she really wanted a secular ceremony so they settled on a compromise.

The minister cleared his throat as Damon looked into Elena's soft eyes.

"Family and friends, we're here to join this man and this woman together in marriage. Damon and Elena, your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as one in your hearts. This is also a spiritual commitment. The spiritual aspect of marriage must be embraced openly, seriously, and completely for your marriage to endure," the minister began.

"A successful marriage is made up of two people, each putting the other before themselves and giving to that person 100% first, last, and always. However, as Elena and Damon's journey unfolds there will be opportunities and challenges that will strain them. They may move back and forth between the seasons of their love, sometimes strong as the autumn harvest time, and sometimes tender, tentative, and fragile as the springtime shoots that brave the frost. In those times they will need the support and caring of all of you who have come to celebrate this joyous union. So in the joining of this family, I ask all of you to take a vow in their presence and in the presence of each other. Do you pledge to honor and support their marriage? And will you always be there for them and embrace them with the love of family and the joy of sharing your lives with them? If so, please respond with 'we will'."

"We will," everyone responded. Even Giuseppe, much to Damon's surprise. Elena could have sworn that the moment had Damon a little teary eyed, but of course he would never admit to it.

After that, Grayson silently placed Elena's hand into Damon's to offer his blessing and then he took his seat next to Miranda and Addie. Next was their declaration of intent, which was simple and by the book. Rather than writing their own vows, they wrote them and recited them together.

Joining hands and looking into each other's eyes, they repeated the words after the minister. "It is with joy that I take you to be my partner in all things. To share with you all that is to come. To give and receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond. I promise to be loyal, to cherish you with my whole being, and to see you always through the eyes of love. I entrust myself to your heart today and for all the days to come."

Once they slipped on their rings, Damon pulled another small velvet box from the pocket of his pants and fiddled with it in his hands. He looked at the minister, who nodded; then cleared his throat and looked back to Elena. "So, uh, I know this part is a surprise, but I wrote a little something for Addie."

Elena smiled as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Then the sniffling from Caroline intensified as well. And then Bonnie started in on it too. And pretty soon Miranda joined them. Damon hadn't even said anything yet and already everyone was crying.

Dabbing at her eyes with the back of her hand, Elena turned toward where Addie was sitting. "Little munchkin, you want to come up here?"

Addie slid off of Grayson's lap and skipped up to where Damon and Elena were standing. She looked up at the both of them. "Are we married yet?" she asked.

"Almost," Elena told her. "Almost."

Damon knelt down in front of Addie and opened the box to reveal a beautiful white gold necklace with a heart trinket dangling from it. It was opulent and probably far too nice for a three year old to wear, but he wanted the best for both of his girls.

"Addie, I wasn't there when you said your first word or took your first steps, but I promise you that I will never miss another first. I promise to always be fair and honest with you, to support you in every way I can, to protect you, and to cherish each and every moment I spend with you. Most of all, I promise to love you unconditionally. Thank you for sharing your mom with me. Today as I marry your mom, I marry you too. Will you wear this necklace for me as a reminder of all those promises?"

Uncomfortable for the first time in her life with all the attention she was getting, she shyly nodded her head to Damon and threw her arms around his neck for a hug. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and refused to let go. Elena crouched down next to them and wrapped her arms around them both, trying her best not to just start bawling out of sheer happiness.

The minister took this opportunity to address the seated guests. "Today, you all are witnesses not only to the joining of Damon and Elena, but the beginning of their family. May the promises made here today carry through for years to come. And so, with the power vested in me by the church and the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Damon, you may kiss your bride."

With Addie still unwilling to let go of Damon, he stood up and held her against his chest with his left arm. He pulled Elena into him with his right and planted a kiss on her lips, their first kiss as a married couple. It all felt so right. So with Addie balanced on his left side and Elena holding onto his right, the three of them journeyed back down the aisle and into Elena's childhood home.

They were alone for all of two minutes before everyone else came bursting in with their congratulations. But it was the best damn two minutes of Damon's life.

* * *

Everyone sat crowded around the long dining room table in the Gilbert's formal dining area, the one they reserved for holidays and special occasions, while they dined on the catered food that Caroline insisted they order.

"To force Miranda to cook a meal for that many people on the day her only daughter gets married would be cruel," she'd told Elena. And Elena had to agree.

Damon, Elena, and Addie all crowded around the head of the table together, eating and bumping elbows with each other, but they couldn't stop laughing and smiling as they did so. The mashed potatoes, green beans, and pot roast tasted divine. The wine and champagne flowed freely as everyone ate and celebrated. For Addie and Caroline, they were drinking sweet tea instead.

Grayson stood from his seat and tapped on his wine glass with his wedding ring to get the attention of everyone else. He took a deep breath and looked over lovingly at Elena. She returned the look and grinned widely at him.

"My baby girl got married today," Grayson began, clearing his throat. "So I figured I should probably make a speech or something."

Everyone chuckled.

"Elena, you've been the apple of my eye for over two decades. You and I have been through so much together. For a while there, we just had each other and it's hard for me to come to terms with the fact that you aren't that little brown eyed girl in pigtails swinging around on a tire swing in the backyard anymore. In fact, you're a mother. And now, you're a wife. Know that as long as I'm breathing and far after that, I will be there for you. You may not be that little girl anymore, but you'll always be my girl. I guess now I've just got to share you," Grayson spoke.

Wiping a stray tear from her cheek, Elena blew her father a kiss. "I love you, dad," she silently mouthed to him.

Grayson turned his gaze on Damon, his expression more somber and serious. "Damon, if you break her heart, I'll kill you."

The entire table erupted in a fit of giggles. Grayson Gilbert wasn't the type of man to threaten anyone, but Damon nodded his head, laughed, and raised his glass in the air.

"If I break her heart, I'll show up on your doorstep and hand the knife to you myself," he promised Grayson.

The two men shared a look of solidarity, one that said they both cared so deeply about Elena that they would do anything for her and before everyone sipped from their glasses, they nodded at each other in understanding.

Giuseppe stood from his seat next and Damon braced himself for whatever kind of insults his father might try to sneak into a speech. After all, they didn't have the greatest track record. Their relationship had become less strained over the months since he'd rescued Elena, but it was far from perfect. Hell, it wasn't even normal.

Luckily, Giuseppe kept his speech short. "Today Damon, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of the man you've become. Elena, I think I speak for myself and Stefan when I say that we welcome you to our family with open arms. Thank you for falling in love with my son."

For the remainder of the meal, everyone else took turns making their speeches. Alaric, Enzo, and Stefan managed to thoroughly embarrass Damon on three separate occasions with their tales of how wild he'd been before Elena. Caroline and Bonnie made their speech together, gushing mostly about the magic of true love and destiny. Jeremy tore his attention away from his phone long enough to mumble something about how happy he was to finally have a brother. Rose clinked her glasses with both Damon and Elena, wishing them well. Even Matt and Tyler voiced their congratulations.

After dessert, Damon and Elena kissed goodnight to Addie before Caroline and Bonnie went upstairs to tuck her into bed. She was staying the night with her grandparents so that the newlyweds could have a night alone. Although to be honest, they were so exhausted that Elena predicted her eyes would close the moment her head hit the pillow when they got home.

She sipped her newly refreshed glass of champagne as she bid Matt and Tyler goodnight. Tyler had a date later that night so he kissed Elena on the cheek before rushing out to his truck and hitting the road. Matt had been itching to get out of there for a while now, but she wasn't letting him slip away that easily.

"I'll walk you to your car," she offered, setting down her glass.

"Oh, you don't have to," he waved her off. "It's freezing outside."

Elena retrieved Damon's discarded suit jacket from the couch in the living room and draped it around her shoulders, drowning in the size it. "I've got a jacket," she smiled.

They walked out the front door and down to where his truck sat parked at the end of the driveway in silence, the warm of their breathing making clouds in front of them from the cold air. Matt put his hand on the door handle of his truck and started to pull it open, but Elena caught his attention by grabbing at his arm with her left hand.

"Thank you for coming," she smiled kindly. "It means a lot to me that you were here."

Matt glanced down at the large cluster of diamonds adorning the ring finger that rested on his bicep and sighed. "You're welcome. It's your wedding and you're one of my best friends. I wouldn't miss it."

"Then why did it feel like you weren't happy to be in there?" She hooked her thumb over her shoulder and gestured to the house behind them, the windows and roof adorned with Christmas lights that were twinkling in the darkness.

"Elena, why wasn't I the one?" Matt asked, a pained expression in his eyes.

"Matt," she pleaded. "It's nothing you did wrong, I swear. Do you believe me?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

But it didn't feel like he did.

"Are we going to be okay?" Elena asked.

"Of course," he answered, and this time he smiled at her. "Who else will keep you in line at work when you're dozing off underneath a vintage Chevy Bel Air?"

Elena punched him in the arm, laughing. "That was one time and Addie had kept me up all night!"

"Sure, use whatever excuse makes you feel better," he joked.

"Elena?" a voice called out from the front porch and she immediately recognized it as Damon's. She'd know the sound of her name coming from those lips anywhere. "It's freezing out here. You okay?"

She turned her head and called back to him. "Be in soon, husband!"

"That's my cue to get out of here," Matt said, pulling open his truck door. "See you at work, boss."

He hopped into the truck, cranked up the engine, and backed out without giving her a chance to say anything else. She turned back on her heels and headed inside the house to warm herself up.

The heat hit her immediately when she stepped in and she snatched up her champagne glass from where she'd left it on the coffee table to finish the rest of its bubbly contents.

"Careful, Mrs. Salvatore," Damon crooned into her ear as he snaked his arms around her from behind. "I've got plans for you later."

"Oh, you do?" she mumbled, leaning back against his chest.

"Mmhm. We just have to figure out a way to make a break for it before Blondie finds us."

"Didn't you two get that out of your systems before the ceremony?" Caroline interrupted, her hands planted on her hips and her left foot jutted out as she tapped her toes.

"And there she is," Damon grumbled, pulling away from his bride. He was ready to get her home and rip that dress off of her, but he knew she'd want to stay and be sociable for at least a little while longer. After all, it was their wedding day.

"Ric and Enzo are forcing my fiancé into doing shots in the kitchen," Caroline told Damon. "Can you get that under control?"

"Sure," Damon smirked mischievously and sauntered away into the kitchen.

"You know he's just going to join them, right?" Elena arched an eyebrow in her blonde friend's direction.

"Oh no!" Caroline responded, rushing into the kitchen after him.

Elena shook her head and followed behind her. They walked in to see shot glasses lining the island in the kitchen, all filled with her father's favorite bourbon.

"Just in time!" Bonnie cheered when she saw Elena walk through the doorway. She slid a shot glass in Elena's direction. There was literally one for each person there, her parents included.

"Caroline, yours has apple juice in it," Miranda said, sitting a shot glass down in front of her. "I've been pregnant before. Trust me. It's more about the experience."

"Are we really about to take shots with our parents?" Elena murmured into Damon's ear.

He looked at her with a cheeky grin, raised his glass between his two fingers in the air, and nodded. "To marriage!" he shouted, knocking the liquor back.

Everyone else followed suit.

* * *

The newlyweds were a mess of limbs, tongues, and lips as Damon locked the front door of their house behind them. They were both sloppy drunk after the champagne and shots and their heads would surely pay the price tomorrow. But tonight, it was their wedding night and the entire limo ride home, he'd been running his fingers delicately along the inside of her right thigh.

Elena clawed at his suit jacket, pulling it off of his shoulders and tossing it onto the floor of the foyer as she kicked her heels off of her feet. Damon responded by sliding his hands to the backs of her thighs, picking her up and winding her legs around his waist. She clung tightly to him, nipping and sucking on his neck, as he walked them through the house and into their bedroom.

When he set her down onto her feet next to the bed, he walked behind her and gently undid the back zipper of her dress. Elena shimmied out of it and it fell to the floor, pooled around her ankles. He licked his lips as he circled back around her slowly. She was perfect, all soft curves and olive skin and goosebumps. And she was all his.

Not feeling the need to hide herself from her husband, Elena stood proudly, grinning playfully at him. She reached for the buttons on his dress shirt and undid them one by one, exposing his sculpted chest and abs along the way. The fantasizing over his body earlier hadn't really done him justice. She ran her hands up and down his taut skin, savoring the moment.

His chest rose and fell as he tried to control himself. The need to have her was endless and it was as hard for him to control himself now as it had ever been. When he could take it anymore, he grabbed at her wrists to still her wandering hands. "You're killing me here," he groaned.

"Then let's not put it off anymore," she smiled, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. She wiggled her way out of her nude thong and then she was completely naked standing in front of him.

Damon's eyes roamed up and down her as he unbuckled his pants and pushed them to the floor with his black boxers.

They fell into the bed together, lips and bodies connecting. The coolness of the winter air was long forgotten as their skin was warmed by the other's touch. Normally, Damon would take his time with her, shower her with kisses, and make sure she came at least once before he even thought about being inside of her, but tonight he was anxious and needy. When he reached down with a hand between her legs, the wetness on his fingers told her that she was too.

He settled himself between her legs, making sure she had her head resting on a pillow and with an adoring kiss on her collarbone, he drove himself inside of her. Elena gasped at the feeling. With Damon, sex was always good. This time though, it was different. She knew it was because of the vows they'd taken earlier. They were bound together for life and it showed in the tender way he made love to her.

The sensation of his slow and deliberate thrusts were amplified only by the way his mouth nipped at the skin along her neck and jawbone. Elena brought her hands around him and dug her fingernails into his back to keep herself grounded.

"Damon, I love you," she whispered.

He turned his head to catch her lips in a kiss, thrusting a little harder a few times while they're lips were connected. When they broke apart, Elena was teetering on the edge of orgasm already.

"I love you too. You and only you," he told her before ghosting another kiss over her closed eyelids. He reached between them and rubbed circles on her clit. "Come for me, baby."

It didn't take much to tip her over and Elena came, shuddering and yelling out his name from beneath him. "Oh, fuck!" she screamed as she felt the tiny pulses running through her entire body.

Try as he might to hold off, Damon was at her mercy as she writhed underneath him and called his name. He couldn't help himself as he looked down at her. He came right along with her.

* * *

Tangled in the bed sheets and each other, Elena rested her head on Damon's chest as he gently stroked her hair. The lamp on the nightstand basked them in a warm glow of light and other than sounds of their slow and steady breathing, the house was serene.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him, her eyelids closing as she fully relaxed into his warmth.

He smoothed a stray wave of hair away from her face and breathed in deeply. "Are you even real?" he grinned.

"Are you?" she asked back. She craned her neck so that she could look at him. "This is too perfect to be real."

"Looks awfully real to me." Damon held up his left hand into the air, inspecting his wedding ring. "We fucking did it, Mrs. Salvatore."

Elena examined her own ring, a simple rose gold band with three modest diamonds on it. She didn't want anything flashy. It wasn't her style. "I guess it actually is real."

"Well, now that we've establish that," he began, his tone shifting to a little more serious. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"You can ask me anything."

He brought her hand up and delicately kissed her knuckles. "I'm going to need a real honeymoon when this is all over. After Christmas and the trip to Charlotte and my fight in Vegas. After all of that, I need to get away with my wife for a little while."

Elena opened her mouth to protest, but he shushed her with a finger placed over her lips before she could get any words out.

"And before you say it, Caroline and Stefan have agreed to watch Addie for a week. It'll be good practice for them."

"Deal," she relented with a sigh.

"Oh like being locked away on some tropical island together with nothing to do but drink, fuck, and go swimming is going to be such torture," he laughed.

Elena nodded with a smile. "You're right. We need that. Hell, I need that."

"One more favor," Damon added.

"Does it involve more sex? Because, yes," she giggled.

His expression turned a little more somber. "I don't want to push my luck here and if you say no then I'll try not to bring it up again, but I want to come with you to Charlotte next month."

Elena thought about it for a moment. She'd been trying to avoid any more drama by leaving Damon behind and bringing Jeremy instead. She still thought that probably would have been the safest choice. The image of the two of them on the sidewalk outside that gallery in Charlotte was seared into her mind and if anything like that broke out in front of Addie, she'd blame herself.

Even still, part of her wanted Damon to go with them. She eyed the ring on her finger. He was her family now. He was Addie's family now. As great of baby brother as Jeremy was, the emotional support of having Damon there was incomparable. No doubt it would be difficult for Elena and Addie and if Damon wanted to be there for the two of them, she didn't want to deny him that.

"I'll behave," Damon promised after a few moments of silence.

"I think I'd like it if you came with us."

"Really?" He sounded shocked, like he knew she was going to shoot him down the moment he asked.

She nodded. "Really."

"Thank you, Elena. That means a lot to me." He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"It means a lot to me that you want to be there for us," Elena replied contently.

"I promised, didn't I?"

"I suppose you did."

* * *

 **A/N: The next update will be...I have no idea. I start my new job on January 30 so we'll see what my schedule will be like in terms of making time to write. Have faith that I WILL finish this and All I Wanted eventually! Promise!**


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